JP2868364B2 - Printer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a thermal transfer printer,
About the printer, such as Al printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a recording medium such as paper and an ink ribbon coated with a heat-meltable ink are supported in front of a platen, and a thermal head having a plurality of heating elements arranged together with a carriage is provided with a step motor. By operating the printer, a reciprocating motion along the platen causes the heating elements arranged on the thermal head to selectively generate heat based on print information based on a print signal, on a recording medium such as paper. A thermal transfer printer as a printer that prints an image of a desired character or the like has high print quality, low noise, low cost, easy maintenance, and the like.
It is frequently used as an output device such as a computer and a word processor.

Hereinafter, such a general printer will be described.
Described thermal transfer printer by FIG.

[0004] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a main portion of a thermal transfer printer which is conventional.

[0005] As shown in FIG. 3, the conventional Karaa Ru printer
The thermal transfer printer as is as a suitable control unit 1, the desired drive means 2 driven based on a control command of the control unit 1, a fixed pulley 3 which is rotatable by said driving means 2, Appropriate driving of a movable pulley 5 supported by the tension spring 4 and movable by a predetermined amount in the left-right direction in the drawing and a belt or the like for transmitting a driving force wound between the pulleys 3 and 5 It is formed by a force transmitting means 6 and a carriage 7 which is movable left and right in the figure by the driving force transmitting means 6.

As the driving means 2, a step motor 8 called a stepping motor, a stepper, a pulse motor or the like is frequently used. This is because such a step motor 8 can easily perform digital control for converting an electric pulse of an input signal into a mechanical displacement corresponding to the pulse, can cope with frequent starting and stopping, and has a self-starting frequency. Are often used because the time required for the carriage 7 to reach a predetermined speed can be shortened. The stepping motor 8 as the driving means 2 can obtain an output rotation speed proportional to the frequency of the input pulse.

When printing of one line is started in the printer thus formed, the carriage 7
Is increased (slow-up) from a stop state until it reaches a predetermined speed suitable for printing by a stepping motor 8, and then is moved at a constant speed. As shown in FIG. 4, the drive control method of the step motor 8 at the time of the slow-up is such that the desired self-start frequency Q10
After that, the frequency of the input pulse is acceleratedly increased until the printing operation frequency Q20 is reached at a predetermined time t20.

[0008]

[SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION However, Oite the conventional printer described above, when starting the stepper motor 8 in order to absorb the shock of the carriage 7, in detail, the driving force transmitting means for driving the carriage 7 in order that the belt 2 is to absorb the shock of the carriage 7 caused by expansion and contraction of a, it is supported by the tension spring 4
A movable pulley 5 that is movable by a predetermined amount is used.
You. That is, the expansion and contraction of the belt 2 as the driving force transmission means
The fixed pulley 3 around which the belt 2 is wound to absorb
The movable pulley 5 of the movable pulleys 5 moves,
The movement of the pulley 5 is absorbed by the expansion and contraction of the tension spring 4.
It is getting collected. Then, when starting printing,
When the step motor 8 is started, the movable pulley 5 is supported.
Movable tension pulley
5 movement is performed, since the slow-up is done during the movement of the movable pulley 5 this, together with the response delay is generated in the movement of the carriage 7, there is a problem that vibration occurs. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the frequency of the input pulse from t10 to t20 has a change that increases at an accelerating rate, and when the phase of the response delay of the printing operation frequency becomes 180 degrees, a resonance state occurs and printing is performed. In the worst case, control becomes impossible, and the step motor 8 loses synchronism (stops).

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a drive control method of a stepping motor for preventing vibration and the like can be theoretically considered by setting all the frequencies of the input pulses from t00 to t20 to be sine curves. Although vibration can be prevented in this way, the time until the carriage 7 reaches the predetermined speed using the self-starting frequency Q10 of the step motor 8 (time from t00 to t10 in FIG. 4).
There was a problem that it was not possible to shorten. Further, in order to realize the sine curve in this case, the control means 1 needs a control method divided into fine steps, which requires a long calculation processing time in the control means 1, a large capacity memory, and a large software. There was a problem that the financial burden was large.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, a self-starting frequency Q10 is used and a frequency of an input pulse from t10 to t20 is set as a sine curve, thereby preventing a vibration or the like from being driven. Can be considered in theory. However, in this case as well, in order to realize a sine curve, the control means 1 needs a control method divided into fine steps, as described above. However, there has been a problem that the software must be large, and the financial burden is large.

In the present invention all SANYO was made in view of these points, inexpensive control means, co during step motor start
Prevents adverse effects on printing such as vibration and vibration
A pudding that can reliably maintain high-quality printing quality
The purpose is to provide data.

[0012]

According to the present invention, there is provided a printer for printing while moving a carriage by slowing up a step motor. A movable pulley supported by a tension spring and movable by a predetermined amount; a driving force transmitting means for transmitting a driving force from the fixed pulley to the movable pulley; and the driving force. A carriage movable by a transmission means, and a control means for controlling the step motor, wherein when the step motor is started and printing is performed while moving the carriage, the control means controls the step motor. said movable frequency of the input pulse immediately after the start of activation at a predetermined self-start frequency of
It is characterized in that the frequency of the input pulse is slowed up to the printing operation frequency after the time required for attenuation and absorption of the vibration generated by the movement of the pulley is maintained until the time has elapsed.

[0013]

According to the printer of the present invention having the above-described structure, the stepping motor starts at a constant speed immediately after the start.
Reduction of vibration generated by the movement of the movable pulley at a frequency
It is driven until the time required for decay and absorption elapses, and then it is slowed up to the printing operation frequency. You. As described above, since the slow-up is performed after the movement of the movable pulley is completed, a response delay of the movement of the carriage can be reliably prevented, and the movement is caused by the movement of the movable pulley immediately after the start of the step motor. Vibration
Since the damping and absorption can be performed in the constant speed region immediately after the start of the step motor, adverse effects on printing can be eliminated, and as a result, high-quality printing quality can be reliably maintained. Also, the step motor is
Immediately after the start of start, the movable pulley
Control means that drives for the time required for attenuation and absorption of the generated vibration, and then slows up to the printing operation frequency,
The load on the arithmetic processing time, memory capacity, software, and the like can be reduced.

[0014]

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, the description by way of example according to the present onset bright in the drawings.

[0015] FIG. 1 is Netsuten as a printer according to the present onset Akira
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a main part of an embodiment of a copying printer .

As shown in FIG. 1, the printer of this embodiment
The thermal transfer printer P described above was appropriately controlled by a suitable control means 9, a desired step motor 10 as a drive means driven based on a control command of the control means 9, and rotatable by the step motor 10. A movable pulley 13 supported by a fixed pulley 11 and a tension spring 12 and movable by a predetermined amount in the left-right direction in FIG. 1, and transmits a driving force wound between the pulleys 11 and 13. as a suitable driving force transmitting means 14 such as a belt, it is formed by a carriage 15 which is movable in the left and right in FIG. 1 by the driving force transmitting means 14.

Next, the control means of the printer of the present embodiment will be described.
The drive control of the step motor will be described with reference to FIG .

[0018] FIG. 2 is Netsuten as a printer according to the present onset Akira
Control of Step Motor by Control Unit of Photo Printer
Is a graph showing the relationship between frequency and time of the input pulse of the stepping motor of an embodiment of a.

First, as shown in FIG. 2, the drive control of the step motor 10 by the control means 9 of the thermal transfer printer P of this embodiment is performed by inputting a pulse of the self-start frequency Q10 at a predetermined time t10, Start. And
The frequency of the input pulses to the step motor 10 until just after <br/> or et at between t11 started to hold the self-start frequency Q10. Then, the frequency of the input pulse is acceleratedly increased (slowed up) by the step motor 10 until the printing operation frequency Q20 is reached at the predetermined time t20.

Therefore, during the constant speed region from t10 to t11, the pulse of the self-start frequency Q10 is continuously input from the control means 9 to the step motor 10, and the step motor 10 , And the vibration generated by the movement of the movable pulley 13 supported by the tension spring 12 when the step motor 10 is started can be attenuated and absorbed. Also, the step motor 10
After the movement of the movable pulley 13 is completed in the constant velocity region immediately after the start of the start, the slow-up is performed.
The response delay of the movement of the carriage 9 can be reliably prevented. Therefore, according to the printer P of the present embodiment, the carriage 9 can be moved properly, and as a result, adverse effects on printing such as resonance and vibration at the start of the step motor 10 are reliably prevented, and high-quality printing is performed. Quality can be reliably maintained.

The same effect of vibration prevention as in the step motor drive control method using a sine curve as shown in FIG. 6 can be obtained, and this effect can be obtained by calculating the processing time, memory capacity, software, etc. it can be further achieved less control hand stage 9 burden for.

Further, since the pulse of the desired self-starting frequency Q10 can be input at a predetermined time t10 to start the step motor 10, the frequency can be increased in a sine curve form at time t00 as shown in FIG. Compared to
The time from t00 to t10 can be omitted, and the time for the carriage 15 to reach the predetermined speed can be shortened.

Further, the length between the time of constant velocity region from t10 immediately after activation of the step motor 10 until t11, the strength against vibration of the drive system, for example in accordance with the biasing force of the tension spring 12 or the like, the vibration The length may be appropriately determined so that the length can be prevented.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified as needed.

[0025]

According <br/> the printer of the present invention as described in the foregoing, an inexpensive control unit, an adverse effect on printing resonance and vibrations when the step motor start securely sealed explosion
High quality printing quality can be reliably maintained.
It exhibits the pole Umate excellent effect that.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a thermal transfer printer as a printer according to the present onset Akira
FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a configuration of a main part of one embodiment .

FIG. 2 is a thermal transfer printer as a printer according to the present onset Akira
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a relationship between the frequency of an input pulse of a step motor and time, showing an embodiment of drive control of the step motor by the control means of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a main part of a thermal transfer printer as a conventional printer .

FIG. 4 is a control of a thermal transfer printer as a conventional printer .
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a relationship between the frequency of an input pulse of a step motor and time, showing an embodiment of drive control of the step motor by means

FIG. 5 shows control of a thermal transfer printer as a conventional printer .
4 similar to FIG. 4 showing another example of drive control of a step motor by means .

FIG. 6 shows control of a thermal transfer printer as a conventional printer .
FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 4, showing still another example of the drive control of the step motor by the means .

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 9 control means 10 step motor 11 fixed pulley 12 tension spring 13 movable pulley 14 driving force transmission means 15 carriage P thermal transfer printer (as printer)

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-5-57982 (JP, A) JP-A-4-345877 (JP, A) JP-A-3-215195 (JP, A) JP-A-60-210478 (JP) JP-A-60-66694 (JP, A) JP-A-51-16245 (JP, Y1) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B41J 19/00-19/98 H02P 8/00-8/42

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A printer for performing printing while moving a carriage by slowing up a step motor, comprising: a step motor; a fixed pulley rotatable by the step motor; A movable pulley capable of moving a fixed amount, a driving force transmitting means for transmitting a driving force from the fixed pulley to the movable pulley, a carriage movable by the driving force transmitting means, and the step motor are controlled. and control means, wherein when performing printing while to start the step motor to move said carriage, said control means the step motor activation start frequency of the input pulses of predetermined immediately self
Vibration generated by the movement of the movable pulley at the starting frequency
A printer configured to hold the time required for the attenuation and absorption of the input pulse until the elapsed time has elapsed, and then to slow down the frequency of the input pulse to the printing operation frequency.