JPH02155663A - Thermal transfer type serial printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable a reduction in the running cost of an ink ribbon by reading data on an ink ribbon located at the position of a thermal transfer printing head at the time of starting printing in the next line, and starting printing in the next line based on the data by use of the ink ribbon located at the position of the head. CONSTITUTION:A thermal transfer ink ribbon 4 provided with a bar code 11 for identification of a color is contained in a ribbon cassette 3 in the state of being wound around spools 10, 10. When printing in one line is finished, a controlling part 18 starts a line-feeding motor 6 for printing in the next line, and simultaneously, the ink ribbon 4 is discriminated by a bar code sensor 13, upon which printing in the next and latter lines is started in the color discriminated. That is, each time printing in one line is finished, a color is read by the bar code sensor 13, and printing in the next and latter line is started in the color.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] The present invention relates to a thermal transfer serial printer.

[Conventional technology]

Various printers are widely used as output devices for computer systems used in the information processing field.

Among these, printers that use a printing method that expresses character patterns using a dot matrix are flexible and easy to handle, and have recently become popular.

In particular, thermal transfer serial printers have a simple structure, low noise, and are inexpensive, so demand is expanding for personal use such as terminal systems and personal computers.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, when trying to maintain good print quality in such a thermal transfer printer (hereinafter referred to as a printer), there is a problem in that the running cost of the ink ribbon increases.

In other words, in such a printer, when printing one line, the colors are printed in order of lightest color, so each time the next line is printed, the ribbon motor is rotated to search for the lightest color.
This method has the drawback that printing is required and the ink ribbon is sent unnecessarily.

An object of the present invention is to provide a printer that recognizes the information of the ink ribbon in the head when one line of printing is completed, and prints the next line from the ink ribbon currently in the head, thereby improving the above-mentioned drawbacks. Our goal is to provide the following.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the thermal transfer serial printer according to the present invention includes a thermal transfer color ink ribbon attached with an identifiable bar code and sequentially fed out from a ribbon cassette, and a thermal transfer color ink ribbon by melting the ink of the color ink ribbon. A thermal transfer print head that transfers paper, and a barcode sensor that recognizes a barcode on the thermal transfer color ink ribbon.

Information about the line feed motor that feeds printing paper and the ink ribbon at the position of the thermal transfer print head when driving the line feed motor to start printing the next line after one line of printing is completed. is read by the bar code sensor and, based on the data, issues a command to start printing the next line with the ink ribbon positioned at the thermal transfer print head.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a control system in an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a mechanism diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a color ink ribbon.

As shown in FIG. 2, on the platen 7 that supports the paper 8,
It is equipped with a line feed motor 6 that rotates the platen 7 angularly to perform the necessary line feed, and a spacing motor 1 . belt 2
．． It is arranged so that it can be reciprocated by a pulley 9. The carrier 12 includes a ribbon cassette 3 and a thermal transfer print head 5.
A thermal transfer ink ribbon 4 having a barcode 11 for color identification is stored in the ribbon cassette 3 wound around a spool 10.10, and the spool 10.10 is moved by a ribbon motor 15. When driven, the ink ribbon 4 is fed out and taken up.

On the other hand, the control system of the present invention includes a barcode sensor 13 that recognizes the barcode of the ink ribbon 4, a microswitch 14 that identifies the type of ribbon cassette 3, and a ROM 16.
and RAM 17, and when one line of printing is completed, the barcode sensor 13 reads the information on the ink ribbon 4 located at the head 5 position, and prints the next line from the ink ribbon 4 located at the head 5 position. A control unit 1 that has a function of issuing a command to start printing and a function of controlling the drive of the head 5 and motors 1, 6, 15, etc. based on commands from a host device.
8.

First, when the ribbon cassette 3 is set in the carrier 12, the microswitch 14 determines the type of ribbon cassette 3. When the microswitch 14 outputs a signal that determines that the ribbon cassette 3 containing color ink ribbons has been set, the control unit 18 receives the output signal and also outputs a designation for printing based on information from the host device. When receiving a color instruction, barcode sensor 1
3, the ribbon motor 1 is activated while recognizing the color of the ink ribbon 4.
5 to search for the designated color.

Normally, designated color instructions are issued in the order of lightest colors, ie, Y (yellow), 2M (magenta), C (light blue), and B (black).

When printing for one line is completed, the control unit 18 starts the line feed motor 6 to print the next line, and at the same time judges the ink ribbon 4 using the barcode sensor 13, and prints from that color from the next line. Start. That is, when printing for one line is completed, printing is started from the next line using the color read by the barcode sensor 13.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, the thermal transfer serial printer of the present invention has the effect of reducing the running cost of the ink ribbon by using the ink ribbon at the end of printing one line when using the thermal transfer color ink ribbon.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a control system in an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a mechanism diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing a color ink ribbon in an embodiment of the present invention. It is. 1... Spacing motor 2... Belt 3...
Ribbon cassette 4... Ink ribbon 5... Thermal transfer print head 6... Line feed motor 7... Platen 8... Paper 9... Pulley 10... Spool 11... Bar code 12. ...Carrier 13...Barcode sensor 14...Micro switch 15...
Ribbon motor 18...control unit patent applicant
Niigata NEC Co., Ltd. Figure 1

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A thermal transfer color ink ribbon attached with an identifiable barcode and sequentially fed out from a ribbon cassette; a thermal transfer print head that melts the ink of the color ink ribbon and transfers it to paper; A barcode sensor that recognizes barcodes, a line feed motor that feeds printing paper, and a thermal transfer system that drives the line feed motor after one line of printing is completed to start printing the next line. It has a function of reading information on the ink ribbon located at the position of the print head using the bar code sensor, and based on that data, issues a command to start printing the next line with the ink ribbon located at the position of the thermal transfer print head. A thermal transfer serial printer characterized by having a control section.