JP3826674B2 - Printer and composite processing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a printer provided with a printing mechanism capable of printing by the dot impact method, or a check paper such as a check or a personal check (hereinafter referred to as “check paper”). The present invention relates to a composite processing apparatus that reads recorded magnetic ink characters (hereinafter referred to as “MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition) characters”) and performs predetermined printing.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, this type of printer is configured such that a carriage head including a dot impact type print head reciprocates in the paper width direction with respect to recording paper fed along a predetermined paper path.
[0003]
As shown in FIG. 8, in this carriage head 200, a head protector 201 for protecting the print head 202 is provided at a site on the paper path side. The head protector 201 is configured to guide the ink ribbon R drawn from the ribbon cartridge to a position where the print head 202 can give an impact to the ink ribbon R.
[0004]
In addition, a ribbon guide portion 203 is provided in the peripheral portion of the head protect portion 201 so as to prevent the ink ribbon R that contacts the head protect portion 201 from being pressed and removed. When the ribbon cartridge is mounted on the carriage head 200, the ink ribbon R is disposed on the upstream side in the ribbon feeding direction so that the ink ribbon R can be easily passed between the head protector 201 and the ribbon cartridge.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in such a conventional printer, the ink ribbon R on the head protector 201 is hooked on a folded recording paper, for example, because it is disposed only on one side of the head protector 201. Alternatively, the ribbon fabric may come off due to loosening due to repeated use.
[0006]
On the other hand, in order to avoid such a situation, it is conceivable to dispose the ribbon guide portion 203 of the carriage head 200 on both side portions of the head protector 201. In this case, however, when the ribbon cartridge is mounted, The ink ribbon R must be passed through the ribbon guide portions on both sides, and an operation of pulling out the ink ribbon R and manually drawing it becomes necessary, so that the mountability of the ribbon cartridge is impaired.
[0007]
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a carriage head that can prevent the ink ribbon from coming off while maintaining the mounting property of the ribbon cartridge. It is an object of the present invention to provide a printer and a composite processing apparatus.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a print head configured to give an impact to an ink ribbon drawn from a ribbon cartridge, and a carriage configured by arranging the print head at a predetermined portion. A main body, a head protector for guiding the ink ribbon to the print head to form a predetermined ribbon path, and the opposite side of the ribbon path with respect to the head protector on one side of the ribbon path A first ribbon guide portion disposed in the portion, and a portion on the opposite side of the ribbon route with respect to the head protect portion and on the other side of the ribbon route, and the ink ribbon is disposed on the ribbon route And a carriage head having a second ribbon guide portion formed with an introduction surface leading upward, and the print head is fed along a predetermined paper path With the printable configured to, a printer, characterized in that the carriage head is reciprocally configured in the ink ribbon and contact possible range drawn from the ribbon cartridge.
[0009]
In the case of the present invention, since the ink ribbon on the head protection unit is guided by both the first ribbon guide unit and the second ribbon guide of the carriage head, the ink ribbon contacts the folded recording paper. Even so, it is possible to prevent it from being caught by this.
[0010]
On the other hand, in the case of the present invention, the configuration of the second ribbon guide portion of the carriage head is such that the ink ribbon can be introduced into the ribbon path by the introduction surface. By providing the ribbon guide portion, it is possible to maintain the mountability of the ribbon cartridge without causing the operation of drawing the ink ribbon again.
[0011]
In the present invention, the first ribbon guide portion of the carriage head is provided at substantially the same height as the head protect portion, while the second ribbon guide portion of the carriage head is lower than the head protect portion. It is also effective that the introduction surface of the second ribbon guide portion is inclined and formed in a direction from the tip portion of the second ribbon guide portion toward the tip portion of the head project portion.
[0012]
According to the present invention, the ink ribbon on the head protector is guided by the first ribbon guide part of the carriage head, and the second ribbon guide part is shaped so that the ink ribbon can be easily introduced onto the ribbon path. For example, the ink ribbon can be moved over the second ribbon guide portion and disposed on the ribbon path only by moving the carriage head.
[0013]
Further, according to the present invention, the head protect portion of the carriage head is disposed so as to protrude toward the paper path side with respect to the ink ribbon drawn out from the ribbon cartridge, while the first ribbon guide portion and the second ribbon. The guide portion is disposed at a position where it can contact the ink ribbon formed between the head protect portion and the ribbon cartridge, and the second ribbon guide portion is inclined at a predetermined angle in accordance with the movement of the carriage head. It is also effective to arrange the ink ribbon so as to be on the paper path side with respect to the ink ribbon.
[0014]
According to the present invention, the ink ribbon is wound around the head protection portion by the first ribbon guide portion and the second ribbon guide portion of the carriage head, so that the ink ribbon comes off even if the ribbon fabric is loosened by repeated use. In addition, by moving the carriage head, the ink ribbon can move over the second ribbon guide portion and be disposed between the head project portion and the second ribbon guide portion (ribbon path). Become.
[0015]
Furthermore, the present invention provides a control unit that controls the carriage head to move to a position corresponding to a position where the ink ribbon drawn from the ribbon cartridge passes through the second ribbon guide unit to perform the ribbon mounting process. It is also effective to have it.
[0016]
According to the present invention, for example, when the ribbon cartridge is replaced, the ink ribbon can be automatically mounted on the carriage head by moving the carriage head to a position where the ink ribbon can get over the second ribbon guide portion. Therefore, a series of processes can be performed smoothly without interruption.
[0017]
On the other hand, the present invention provides a read head capable of reading the magnetic information when the recording paper has magnetic information among the recording papers sent along the paper path in the configuration included in the printer according to the invention. The composite processing apparatus is configured such that predetermined printing is performed by the print head or a separate print head according to magnetic information read by the read head.
[0018]
According to the present invention, it is possible to perform both the prevention of ink ribbon detachment and the mounting property of the ribbon cartridge to perform smooth combined processing.
[0019]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a composite processing apparatus including the configuration of the printer and the composite processing apparatus according to the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0020]
FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the combined processing apparatus of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the carriage head according to the present embodiment.
[0021]
3 and 4 are flowcharts showing the processing flow of the control unit of the present embodiment. 5 to 7 are plan views showing the positional relationship between the carriage head and the ink ribbon of the ink ribbon.
[0022]
As shown in FIG. 1, the combined processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment has a main body frame 2 made of, for example, metal, and the main body frame 2 is provided with a paper guide member 3 made of, for example, resin. . The paper guide member 3 includes a pair of paper guide upper member 3a and paper guide lower member 3b arranged at a predetermined interval.
[0023]
Further, the paper guide member 3 is formed so as to extend in a substantially horizontal direction from the front side (left side in FIG. 1) to the middle part of the combined processing apparatus 1, and further to extend in a curved shape to the upper side of the main body frame 2. Has been. As a result, a paper path 30 including a planar first paper path 31 and a curved second paper path 32 is formed between the paper guide members 3. Here, in the present embodiment, the direction from the first paper path 31 to the second paper path 32 is the paper feed direction, and the first paper path 31 side is the upstream side of the paper feed direction. The second paper path 32 side is the downstream side in the paper feeding direction.
[0024]
A paper insertion port 4 having a predetermined size is formed at a front portion of the paper guide member 3, and a paper stopper 5 is provided at a middle portion of the paper guide member 3. The paper stopper 5 is a member for locking recording paper such as form paper or check paper, and is configured to be swingable so that it can enter the paper path 30.
[0025]
Here, the form paper and the check paper used as the recording paper in the present embodiment are each a rectangular shape having a standard size, and in the check paper, an end portion on one side thereof is MICR characters are printed in long strips.
[0026]
A paper detection mechanism 6 is provided in a portion corresponding to the first paper path 31 in the paper guide member 3. The paper detection mechanism 6 includes a photoelectric sensor, and includes a paper leading edge sensor 61 and a paper trailing edge sensor 62.
[0027]
The paper leading edge sensor 61 is disposed in the vicinity of the paper stopper 5 and on the upstream side in the paper feeding direction. As a result, the paper leading edge sensor 61 can detect the peripheral portion of the recording paper in a state where the leading edge of the recording paper is in contact with the paper stopper 5.
[0028]
On the other hand, the paper rear end sensor 62 is disposed around the paper insertion slot 4 at a position where a side edge portion on one side (front side in FIG. 1) of the recording paper can be detected.
[0029]
A portion corresponding to the first paper path 31 in the paper guide member 3 is provided with a first paper feed roller 7. The first paper feed roller 7 includes a pair of drive rollers 71 and a driven roller 72.
[0030]
A magnetic reading device 8 for reading MICR characters is provided at a portion corresponding to the first paper path 31 of the paper guide member 3. The magnetic reading device 8 includes a reading head 81 and a head pressing member 82.
[0031]
A magnetizing member (not shown) for magnetizing the MICR character M is provided on the upstream side of the magnetic reading device 8 in the paper feed direction.
[0032]
As shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, the endorsement printing mechanism 9 is provided in a portion corresponding to the second paper path 32 of the paper guide member 3. The endorsement printing mechanism 9 includes a printing mechanism main body 9a disposed on the paper guide lower member 3b side and a platen 9b disposed on the paper guide upper member 3a side. A print head 9c by a dot impact method is provided at a site on the second paper path 32 side of the printing mechanism main body 9a.
[0033]
On the other hand, the cross section of the platen 9b is formed in a so-called D-cut shape. When the cut portion rotates and changes its position, the platen 9b receives an impact from the print head 9c and the second paper path. It is configured so that it can be selected when the recording paper is passed with the opening 32 open.
[0034]
A second paper feed roller 91 is provided at the downstream end portion of the paper guide member 3. The second paper feed roller 91 is composed of a pair of drive roller 91a and driven roller 91b.
[0035]
The drive roller 91a of the second paper feed roller 91 rotates together with the drive roller 71 of the first paper feed roller 7 when the power of the drive motor 92 (not shown) is transmitted through the gear train. It is configured.
[0036]
On the other hand, a paper discharge mechanism 93 and a front print mechanism 94 are provided at a position above the main body frame 2. The paper discharge mechanism 93 is a mechanism configured to form a paper path 33 on the extension of the second paper path 32 and discharge the recording paper, and the rear side of the main body frame 2 around the support shaft 93a. Can be opened.
[0037]
On the other hand, the front print mechanism 94 includes a carriage head 96 including a dot impact type print head 95 and a platen 97, and is configured to be able to print using a ribbon cartridge C described below.
[0038]
Here, as shown in FIG. 5, the ribbon cartridge C used in the present embodiment has a cartridge portion C1 in which an endless ink ribbon R is built. The ink ribbon R in the cartridge part C1 is stretched along a straight line from lead-out holes (not shown) provided in ribbon lead-out parts C2 and C3 extending from both sides of the cartridge part C1 in an arm shape. It is drawn out in the state. In the following description, among the ribbon drawing portions, the lower drawing portion in FIG. 5 is referred to as a first drawing portion C2, and the upper drawing portion in FIG. 5 is referred to as a second drawing portion C3.
[0039]
As shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, the carriage head 96 can reciprocate in the paper width direction by receiving the carriage shaft 98 provided on the main body frame 2 on the side facing the paper discharge mechanism 93 by the bearing portion 96a. It is supported. The carriage head 96 is configured such that the power of the drive motor 99 provided in the main body frame 2 is transmitted through an endless belt, pulley, or the like.
[0040]
On the other hand, the print head 95 is arranged at a predetermined portion on the paper path 33 side of the carriage head 96 so that a plurality of impact portions 95a arranged in the paper width direction can give an impact to the ink ribbon R.
[0041]
The carriage head 96 has a head protector 96b for protecting the impact part 95a from the ink ribbon R of the ribbon cartridge C.
[0042]
As shown in FIG. 2 or 5, the head protector 96b is a central portion on the leading end side (paper path 33 side) of the carriage head 96, and the ribbon cartridge C is located between the ribbon lead-out portions C2 and C3. It is provided at a portion that protrudes by a predetermined length from the ink ribbon R to be formed to the paper path 33 side.
[0043]
Further, the head protector 96b is formed in a block shape having a height larger than the width of the ink ribbon R and having a substantially trapezoidal cross section so that the ink ribbon R in contact with the head protector 96b is bent into a substantially "<" shape. Has been.
[0044]
A guide surface 96b1 for guiding the ink ribbon R to the impact portion 95a of the print head 95 in the paper width direction is formed at the front central portion of the head protect portion 96b. An opening 96c through which the impact part 95a can pass is formed in the center part of 96b1.
[0045]
In addition, sub-guide surfaces 96d1 and 96d2 are formed to be inclined at a predetermined angle from the guide surface 96b1 to the rear side thereof on both side portions adjacent to the guide surface 96b1 in the front side portion of the head protector 96b. Has been.
[0046]
On the other hand, a first ribbon guide portion 96e is provided at one end portion (left side portion in FIG. 2) on the front end side of the carriage head 96. The first ribbon guide portion 96e is formed in a block shape having substantially the same height as the head protect portion 96b and having a substantially triangular cross section. Is arranged. As a result, a first ribbon guide groove 96f that guides the ink ribbon R to the guide surface 96b1 of the head protector 96b is formed between the first ribbon guide part 96e and the head protector 96b. Yes.
[0047]
In the present embodiment, a second ribbon guide portion 96g is provided at the other end portion (right side portion in FIG. 2) of the carriage head 96 on the tip end side. The second ribbon guide portion 96g is formed in a block shape having a height lower than that of the head protector portion 96b and having a substantially triangular cross section. The second ribbon guide portion 96g is formed at a portion facing the other sub guide surface 96d2 of the head protector portion 96. Has been placed.
[0048]
As a result, a second ribbon guide groove 96h that guides the ink ribbon R to the guide surface 96b1 of the head protector 96b is formed between the second ribbon guide 96g and the head protector 96b. Yes.
[0049]
An introduction surface 96g1 for guiding the ink ribbon R to the second ribbon guide groove 96h is formed on the upper surface of the second ribbon guide portion 96g so as to be inclined obliquely upward from the leading edge portion of the carriage head 96. ing.
[0050]
Here, as shown in FIG. 5, regarding the positional relationship between the second ribbon guide portion 96g and the head protector 96 in the paper width direction, the second ribbon guide portion 96g is configured to protect the head according to the movement of the carriage head 96. With respect to the ink ribbon R formed between the portion 96b and the second ribbon lead-out portion C3, the carriage head 96 is disposed on the second ribbon lead-out portion C2 side so that the ink ribbon R is at a predetermined angle (hereinafter, referred to as “ink ribbon R”). Only when the ink ribbon is tilted at a “boundary angle”), the ink ribbon R is disposed with an interval such that it is on the outside (paper path 33 side).
[0051]
Accordingly, the second ribbon guide portion 96g is selectively disposed inside and outside the ink ribbon R inclined with a boundary angle.
[0052]
As shown in FIG. 1, the composite processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment has a control unit 100 having a function of controlling a drive motor 99 for the carriage head 96.
[0053]
The control unit 100 is electrically connected to the drive motor 99, and the carriage head 96 is moved to the ribbon mounting position P1, which is in the vicinity of the first ribbon drawing unit C2, the first ribbon drawing unit C2, and the second ribbon drawing unit C2. The printer is configured to move to a print standby position P2 which is a substantially central portion between the ribbon lead-out portion C3 and a home position P3 which is in the vicinity of the second ribbon lead-out portion C3.
[0054]
Although details will be described later, the control unit 100 also has a function of performing a magnetic reading process, an end printing process, a front printing process, and the like.
[0055]
Hereinafter, the processing of the control unit 100 of the present embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 will be described together with the operation of the complex processing apparatus 1 with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7 as appropriate.
[0056]
First, in step 10 shown in FIG. 3, for example, a ribbon mounting process is performed together with a predetermined initialization process for the composite processing apparatus performed when the power is turned on.
[0057]
In this process, in step 11 shown in FIG. 4, the drive motor 99 is operated by a command from the control unit 100 to move the carriage head 96 to the ribbon mounting position P1.
[0058]
In this case, the operator mounts the ribbon cartridge C on the carriage head 96, and the head protector 96b of the ink ribbon R is kept with the second ribbon guide part 96g of the carriage head 96 inside the ink ribbon R. And the first ribbon guide portion 96e (see FIG. 5).
[0059]
Next, in step 11, the drive motor 99 is operated by a command from the control unit 100 to move the carriage head 96 to the home position P <b> 3 (see FIG. 6).
[0060]
In this case, as the carriage head 96 moves from the ribbon mounting position P1 to the home position P3, the ink ribbon R between the head protector 96b and the second ribbon lead-out part C3 becomes shorter while increasing its inclination. On the other hand, it gradually approaches the second ribbon guide portion 96g.
[0061]
Thereafter, when the carriage head 96 approaches the home position P3 and the inclination of the ink ribbon R approaches the boundary angle, the ink ribbon R comes into contact with the second ribbon guide portion 96g against its own tension, The second ribbon guide portion 96g slides up along the introduction surface 96g1.
[0062]
When the carriage head 96 reaches the home position P3, the ink ribbon R gets over the second ribbon guide portion 96g and fits into the second ribbon guide groove 96h.
[0063]
Thereafter, in step 13, the drive motor 99 is actuated by a command from the control unit 100, and the carriage head 96 is moved to the print standby position P2 to stand by for the next process.
[0064]
Thereafter, in step 20 shown in FIG. 3, a magnetic reading process is performed. In this process,
When the control unit 100 confirms that the recording paper is positioned on the paper stopper 5 based on the signals sent from the paper leading edge sensor 61 and the paper trailing edge sensor 62, the recording paper is the check paper. Causes the MICR characters to be read by the reading head 81 and captures the magnetic information.
[0065]
Next, in step 30, an endorsement printing process is performed. In this process, if the control unit 100 determines that it is necessary to print on the check sheet in accordance with the content of the read MICR character, the print processing on the check printing is performed by the print printing mechanism 9.
[0066]
Thereafter, in step 40, a front face print process is performed. In this process, the control unit 100 causes the front face print mechanism 94 to perform a front face print on the check paper or the form paper.
[0067]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the ink ribbon R drawn out from the ribbon cartridge C is supplied to the head protection portion by both the first ribbon guide portion 96e and the second ribbon guide portion 96g of the carriage head 96. Since the ribbon fabric is wound on the surface 96b, the ink ribbon R can be brought into close contact with the guide surface 96b1 of the head protector 96b with a predetermined tension regardless of whether the ribbon fabric is loosened by repeated use. Even if the ink ribbon R on the head protector 96b comes into contact with the folded recording paper, it can be prevented from being caught and removed.
[0068]
Further, according to the present embodiment, since the configuration of the second ribbon guide portion 96g of the carriage head 96 is such that the ink ribbon R can get over as the carriage head 96 moves, the ink ribbon R can be prevented from coming off. By providing the second ribbon guide portion 96g for the purpose, it is possible to maintain the mountability of the ribbon cartridge C without causing the ink ribbon R to be routed again.
[0069]
Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, before performing the combined processing including the printing processing, the carriage head 96 is moved to a position (home position P3) where the ink ribbon R can get over the second ribbon guide portion 96g. Therefore, even when the ribbon cartridge C is replaced or the ink ribbon R is detached before use, the ink ribbon R can be automatically mounted on the carriage head 96. A series of processes involved can be performed smoothly without interruption.
[0070]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various changes can be made.
[0071]
For example, in the above embodiment, the ribbon loading process is performed as part of the initialization process. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the carriage head 96 is appropriately set to the home position during the end printing process. It can also be moved to P3. In this case, even if the ink ribbon R may come off during printing, there is an advantage that the ink ribbon R can be immediately mounted on the carriage head 96 to return to the printing process.
[0072]
Further, although an example has been given in which the carriage head 96 according to the present invention is applied to the composite processing apparatus 1 of the above-described embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to a single printer.
[0073]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a printer and a composite processing apparatus including a carriage head that can prevent the ink ribbon from coming off while maintaining the mounting property of the ribbon cartridge.
[0074]
In addition, according to the present invention, the ink ribbon can be automatically mounted on the carriage head, and a series of processes related to the composite process can be performed smoothly without interruption.
FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a combined processing apparatus according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a carriage head according to the present embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing of a control unit according to the present embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a process flow of a control unit according to the present embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a positional relationship between the carriage head and the ink ribbon of the ink ribbon.
FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a positional relationship between the carriage head and the ink ribbon of the ink ribbon.
FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a positional relationship between the carriage head and the ink ribbon of the ink ribbon.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a conventional carriage head.
[Explanation of symbols]
95 Print head 96 Carriage head 96b Head protector 96e First ribbon guide part 96g Second ribbon guide part 96g1 Introduction surface 100 Control part

Claims (4)

An impact type print head for printing on recording paper via an ink ribbon drawn from a ribbon cartridge;
A carriage head mounted with the print head and configured to reciprocate within a range in which the print ribbon can come into contact with the ink ribbon;
The carriage head is
A carriage body in which the print head is disposed;
A head protector for forming a ribbon path for guiding the ink ribbon with respect to the print head;
A first ribbon guide portion disposed on the upstream side of the ribbon path across the ribbon path with respect to the head protector;
A second ribbon guide portion disposed opposite to the ribbon path on the downstream side of the ribbon path with respect to the head protector, wherein an introduction surface for guiding the ink ribbon onto the ribbon path is formed With things,
The first ribbon guide portion is provided at substantially the same height as the head protect portion, while the second ribbon guide portion is provided at a height lower than the head protect portion, and the second ribbon guide portion is provided at a height lower than that of the head protect portion. 2. A printer according to claim 1, wherein an introduction surface of the ribbon guide portion is formed to be inclined upward toward the head protection portion. The ribbon cartridge includes first and second ribbon pull-out portions that are provided in an arm shape from both side portions of the cartridge portion, and the ink ribbon is pulled out from the cartridge portion and stored in the cartridge portion.
The head protector is disposed so as to protrude from the straight line connecting the first and second ribbon lead-out parts to the paper path side,
The introduction surface of the second ribbon guide portion is positioned on the paper path side with respect to the ink ribbon when the carriage head is inclined at a predetermined angle in accordance with the movement of the carriage head toward the second ribbon drawer portion. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the printer is arranged as described above.   3. The printer according to claim 2, further comprising a control unit that controls the carriage head to move to a predetermined position on the second ribbon drawing unit side to perform a ribbon loading process. A printer according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A composite processing apparatus comprising a read head capable of reading magnetic information recorded on a recording sheet.

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