JP3286477B2 - 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 printer for printing information on paper, and more particularly to a printer suitable as a word processor or an external recording device of a computer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, various types of printers, such as a thermal transfer printer, a serial printer, and a laser beam printer, capable of printing information on paper are provided as a type of external recording device in a small computer or word processor called a personal computer. It is used as

In such a conventional printer, a power switch, a selection switch for selectively switching between an online state and an offline state, and a paper feed mechanism for forcibly discharging paper from the printer when a paper jam occurs. There are many switches such as a paper feed switch for forcibly driving the switch.

The online state indicates a state in which a printer connected to a personal computer or the like can receive print data from the personal computer or the like and perform printing.

The off-line state indicates a state in which a printer connected to a personal computer or the like cannot receive print data from the personal computer or the like and cannot perform printing.

[0006]

By the way, in recent printers, cost reduction and operability are constantly being improved, and the number of switches is one of the means for cost reduction and operability improvement. There is a demand for a printer with reduced power. As a printer in which the number of switches is reduced, for example, a printer constituted by two switches of a power switch and a selection switch for selectively switching between an online state and an offline state can be considered.

However, when the printer switch is composed of only a power switch and a selection switch for selectively switching between an online state and an offline state, it is possible to reduce the cost and improve the operability. However, even if the paper feed mechanism is forcibly driven to force the paper to be ejected from the printer when a paper jam occurs, the switch for forcibly driving the paper feed mechanism is not provided. There was a problem that the paper feeding operation could not be performed and the usability was inferior.

The present invention has been made in view of these points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a printer capable of reducing the number of switches, lowering costs and improving operability.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a printer according to the present invention is a printer which does not have a dedicated paper feed switch, and is a selection switch for selectively switching between an online state and an offline state. And detecting means for detecting the operation time of the selection switch in the offline state when the selection switch is in the offline state,
Control means for driving a paper feed mechanism for conveying a sheet for the off-line operation time of the selection switch exceeding the set time when the operation time in the off-line state detected by the detection means exceeds a preset time; And characterized in that:

[0010]

According to the printer of the present invention having the above-described structure, the selection switch has both the function of selectively switching the online state and the offline state of the printer and the function of forcibly driving the paper feed mechanism. it can.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a main part of an embodiment of a printer according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, a printer 1 according to this embodiment
Is a power switch 2 for supplying and shutting off power to each part of the printer 1 as a switch, and a selection switch 3 for selectively switching between an online state and an offline state.
It is configured to have only two.

When the power switch 2 is closed and power is supplied to the printer 1, for example, when no external force is applied, the selection switch 3 of this embodiment has a biasing member (both of which are shown). ), The printer 1 is always in the online state, and by pressing the selection switch 3 with a finger or the like, a contact (not shown) is separated for the pressing time, and the printer 1 is turned off. It is configured to be offline. The online state indicates a state in which the printer 1 connected to a personal computer or the like by an interface (both not shown) can receive print data from the personal computer or the like and print.

The off-line state indicates a state in which the printer 1 connected to a personal computer or the like by an interface (both not shown) cannot receive print data from the personal computer or the like and cannot print.

The selection switch 3 includes a detection means 4 for detecting the operation time of the selection switch 3 in the off-line state.
The detection means 4 is connected to the selection switch 3
Has a timer (not shown) that counts the operation time due to the pushing operation of.

The detection means 4 is connected to the control means 5. The control means 5 includes a CPU (not shown), an RO
M, RAM, and other memories.
A drive signal A is sent to an operation time determination unit 6 that determines whether the operation time of the off-line state of the selection switch 3 detected by the detection unit 4 exceeds a preset time, and a paper feed drive mechanism 7. And a driving signal transmitting unit 8 for performing the driving.

Next, the operation of the printer according to the present embodiment having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the printer according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a time chart illustrating the operation states of the selection switch and the drive signal.

First, when power is supplied to the printer 1 by closing the power switch 2, the printer 1 connected to a personal computer or the like by an interface (both not shown) prints from the personal computer or the like by the selection switch 3. It is placed in an online state where data can be received and printed.

Next, the selection switch 3 is manually operated (pushed) to be in an off-line state, thereby starting a characteristic operation of the printer 1 of this embodiment.

When the flowchart of FIG. 2 is started by depressing the selection switch 3 to make it offline, in step ST10, the operation time of the offline state in which the selection switch 3 is operated by the timer of the detecting means 4 And proceeds to the next step ST11.

Next, in step ST11, it is determined whether or not the operation time in the off-line state has exceeded the set time input in advance to the operation time determination unit 6, and the result is NO (shorter than the set time or the same as the set time). In the case of ()), the operation of setting the selection switch 3 to the offline state by manual operation is completed, and the selection switch 3 is automatically set to the online state and the processing ends.

If the determination in step ST11 is YES (exceeding the set time), the process proceeds to the next step ST12, where the drive signal A is sent from the drive signal sending unit 8 to the paper feed drive mechanism 7 for the set time. Is transmitted for a time corresponding to the operation time of the off-line state of the selection switch 3 exceeding the threshold value. Then, the off-line operation of the selection switch 3 by manual operation is completed, and the selection switch 3 automatically becomes on-line state and ended.

That is, as shown in FIG. 3A, the operation time T1 of the selection switch 3 in the off-line state by manual operation is shorter than the set time T0, or the set time T
In the case of the same value as 0 (T1 ≦ T0), the drive signal A for operating the paper feed mechanism 7 is not transmitted, the manual operation for maintaining the offline state of the selection switch 3 ends, and the selection switch 3 is turned online. Returns to the state.

As shown in FIG. 3B, the operation time T of the selection switch 3 in the off-line state by manual operation is set.
2 is longer than the set time T0 (T2> T0), a drive signal A for operating the paper feed mechanism 7 for a time T3 (T2-T0) exceeding the set time T0 is sent out. When the manual operation for holding the offline state ends, the transmission of the drive signal A is stopped, and the selection switch 3 returns to the online state.

As described above, according to the printer 1 of the present embodiment, the function of selectively switching the online state and the offline state of the printer 1 and the function of forcibly driving the paper feed mechanism 7 are set in accordance with the selection switch 3. You can have. That is, since a single switch can be configured to have a plurality of functions, the number of switches of the printer 1 can be reduced, and the price and the operability can be reliably reduced.

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

[0029]

As described above, according to the printer of the present invention, the selection switch has both the function of selectively switching the online state and the offline state of the printer and the function of forcibly driving the paper feed mechanism. Therefore, the number of switches of the printer can be reduced, and the price and the operability can be reliably reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a main part of an embodiment of a printer according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the printer according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a time chart for explaining an operation state of a selection switch and a drive signal of the printer according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Printer 2 Power switch 3 Selection switch 4 Detecting means 5 Control means 6 Operating time judgment part 7 Paper feed mechanism 8 Drive signal sending part A Drive signal T0 Setting time T1, T2 Off-line operation time

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A printer without a dedicated paper feed switch, comprising: a selection switch for selectively switching between an online state and an offline state; and Detecting means for detecting the operation time of the off-line state; and when the operation time of the off-line state detected by the detecting means exceeds a preset time, the off-state operation time of the selection switch exceeding the set time Control means for driving a paper feed mechanism for conveying paper only;
A printer comprising: