JPH02293174A - Printer system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a printing result from becoming higher in density and a moire stripe pattern from occurring even if the thickness of a recording sheet is changed by a method wherein a feed amount is changed in the lap printing of a dot line printed on a just previous line and a dot line to be printed on a next line. CONSTITUTION:When a recording sheet thickness detection result is inputted to a CPU element 13, it sends printing data, a printing start command, and the like to a printer 11 to start printing. Then, the printer 11 prints the data for one line while keeping a height for several dots, thereafter conducting a paper feed action for printing a next line. At this time, if a printed matter is judged to require a thickness necessitating a lap printing, the CPU element 13 of a host 100 determines a paper feed amount with the digital data of a recording sheet thickness previously received from the printer 11 as reference, thereafter issuing a paper feed instruction optimum for the recording sheet thickness to a printer system. The set printing and paper-feed action are repeatedly conducted until the printed matter assigned by a user is completed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a printer system that performs overlapping printing on single recording sheets having different thicknesses.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, recording sheets used as recording sheets, such as stacked sheets of pressure-sensitive copying recording paper, etc., and single recording sheets, etc., each having a different thickness, have been used as recording sheets with different thicknesses. Since the purpose of use differs depending on the purpose of use, the system control of printers connected to various system configurations for recording operations is controlled to accommodate changes in the thickness of the recording sheet.

Among these controls, as a countermeasure for the occurrence of gaps between printed lines due to changes in the paper feed amount caused by differences in the thickness of the recording sheet, the line printing results equivalent to several dots printed just before, Line printing results equivalent to several dots printed on the own line are made to overlap.

The amount of overlap is independent of the thickness of the recording sheet.
The number of overlapping dots is determined to correspond to the maximum thickness of the recording sheet used, and this fixed number of dots are overprinted.

[Problem to be solved by the invention] However, conventionally, when performing overprinting as described above,
Since the number of overlapping dots was determined to correspond to the maximum thickness of the recording sheet being used, if a thin recording sheet is used, the resulting area of overlapping dots will be larger than necessary. There was a problem that the printed results were dark and a moire striped pattern appeared. This tendency is particularly problematic in wired matrix printers.

On the other hand, even in a system using a thermal transfer printer, there is a problem in that when overprinting is performed, the portion where the ink layers overlap becomes thicker, resulting in poor ink fixability.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to prevent dots from being overprinted more than necessary even if the thickness of the recording sheet used changes. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a printer system that does not cause dark print results, moire striped patterns, or poor ink fixability.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above-mentioned problems and objects, the printer system of the invention has the following configuration, namely, a recording system that prints on single recording sheets each having a different thickness. A printer system comprising means for detecting the thickness of a recording sheet, and a control means for determining a feed amount of the recording sheet based on a detection result by the detection means, wherein the recording means detects the thickness of the recording sheet. Dot lines printed on the
When overlapping printing with the dot line to be printed on the own line, the above-mentioned feed amount is changed to perform the overlapping printing.

[Function] According to the present invention, when printing a few dot lines printed in the immediately previous line by the recording means and a few dot lines printed in the current line, the overlapping amount of the dot overlapping printing is changed. It works by changing the feeding amount of the recording sheet to print.

In other words, the printer system detects the thickness of the recording sheet, reports this to the host connected to the printer, and based on that value, the host changes the number of overlapping dots during printing to cover all the types that can be printed on the printer. This allows for overlapping printing corresponding to the thickness of the recording sheet.

[Embodiments] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration diagram of a printer in the printer system of the embodiment. In this figure, an example is shown in which the recording head l is provided with a thermal head, but it does not matter at all that it may be provided with a wired head.

This recording head 1 is slidably guided by a guide rod 1a extending in the front and back directions of the drawing, and is connected to a drive means (not shown), and is configured to perform a so-called serial printing operation. ing.

On the other hand, the recording sheet F is guided and conveyed as shown. The recording sheet F is inserted in the direction of arrow When the paper feed slot roller 3 is supported between the pinch rollers 2 and rotated in the clockwise direction by a rotating means (not shown), the paper is conveyed in the direction of the arrow y.

Further, a platen 4 is disposed at a position facing the recording head 1, and the platen 4 receives the abutting operation of the recording head 1.

A strain gauge 5 is provided on one of the two pinch rollers 2, which is always in contact with the pinch roller 2 and detects the state in which the pinch roller 2 moves due to changes in the thickness of the recording sheet F. . That is, the strain gauge 5 converts the pressure change that occurs when the thickness of the recording sheet F increases and the pinch roller 2 is pushed in the two directions indicated by the arrow into an electrical signal.

This strain gauge 5 is connected to an amplifier 7 that amplifies the output electric signal, and this amplifier 7 has an A/D converter that converts the amplified analog signal into a digital signal.
A converter 8 is connected. This A/D converter 8 is further connected to a CPU element 9 that inputs digital signals and executes overall control within the printer system. This CPU element 9 is connected to a ROM/RAMIO in which control software within the printer is stored, and is configured to operate upon receiving power supply (not shown).

Next, FIG. 2 shows a schematic block diagram of a printer system to which the printer shown in FIG. 1 is connected. In FIG. 2, the built-in CPU element 9 of the printer 11 shown by the dashed line is connected to the CPU element 13 of the host 100 shown by the broken line via a parallel ink face l2 capable of bidirectional data transmission. This CPU element 13 controls the host 100 and issues various control commands to the printer 1l, and is also connected to a keyboard l4 through which the user inputs commands and data to the host, and a CRT 16 for displaying print data, etc. , these controls are also in charge.

A ROM/RAM 15 in which control software for the host 100 is stored is further connected to the CPU element 13.

Part 3 about the operation of the printer system with the above configuration.
The explanation will be based on a flowchart showing the flow of control shown in the figure.

In FIG. 3, first, when the user turns on the power, initialization is performed and a program is started. Then, in step S1, the host 100
When you start printing from the keyboard 14 of the
2, the CPU element 13 of the host 100 sends a command to the CPU element 9 of the printer 11 to detect the thickness of the journal sheet F.

Next, the process proceeds to step S3, and when the CPU element 9 of the printer 11 receives the command, it determines based on the signal from the strain gauge 5 whether the recording sheet F is set, that is, the presence or absence of paper. Here, if there is no paper or recording sheet F, the pinch roller 2 does not move and no pressure is generated in the strain gauge 5, so it is possible to determine the presence or absence of paper or recording sheet F. .

If the presence/absence is determined in this way and there is no recording sheet F,
Proceeding to step S4, a recording sheet F is fed toward the paper feed roller 3 from a cut sheet feeder (not shown). As a result, the thickness of the recording sheet F that has been fed or is being fed is detected in the next step S5.

This detection is performed by the pinch roller 2 on the recording sheet F as described above.
Pressure to push is converted into an electric signal by the strain gauge 5, amplified by the amplifier 7, converted into digital data by the A/D converter 8, and then sent to the printer 11.
will be input to the CPU element 9.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S3 that paper is present, the process advances to step S5.

The CPU element 9 of the printer 11 then sends this digital data back to the CPU element 13 of the host 100 through the parallel ink face 12. (Step S6) When the thickness detection result of the recording sheet F is input to the CPU element 13 in this way, the CPU element 13 sends print data, a print start command, etc. to the printer 1l to start printing. send. (Step S7
) Next, proceed to step S8, maintain the height of several dots, and
After printing a line, a paper feed operation is performed to print the next line, but if it is determined that the printed matter is thick enough to require overlapping printing, the host 100's CP
The U element l3 determines the amount of paper feed by referring to the digital data of the thickness of the recording sheet received from the printer l1 in advance. (For example, if you are using thick paper such as a postcard, reduce the amount compared to plain paper.)

Then, a paper feed command optimal for the thickness of the recording sheet F is sent to the printer system.

This printing and paper feeding are repeated until the printed matter specified by the user is completed.

As explained above, the printer system detects the thickness of the recording sheet, and the host changes the amount of overlapping printing based on that value, thereby creating the optimal overlapping printing for all types of recording sheets that can be printed by the printer system. It has the effect of being able to do the following.

In the above description, the case where a host and a printer are connected is described, but the above printing operation is also possible with a standalone printer.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, in the printer system of the present invention, even if the thickness of the recording sheet used changes, overlapping printing of more than necessary dots is prevented, and the printing result is dark. It is possible to provide a printer system that does not cause moiré stripes, moiré stripes, or poor ink fixing properties.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view and a configuration diagram of a printer according to an embodiment, FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration block diagram showing a printer and a host, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart diagram of the embodiment. In the figure, 1...recording head, 2...pinch roller, 3
...paper feed roller, 4...platen, 5...strain gauge, 7...amplifier, 8...A/D comparator, 9.CPU element, 10.ROM/RA
M, 11... Printer, 12... Directional parallel interface, 13... CPU element, 14... Keyboard, l 5. ROM/RAM, l 6-CRT
, F...Recording sheet. Patent applicant Canon Inc.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A printer system comprising a recording means for printing on individual recording sheets having different thicknesses, which includes a recording sheet thickness detecting means and a recording sheet feeding system based on the detection result by the detecting means. and control means for determining the feed amount, and when printing a dot line printed in the immediately previous line by the recording means and a dot line to be printed on the current line, the feed amount is changed to A printer system characterized by overprinting.