JPH02303883A - Recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a recording apparatus capable of performing high speed printing by mounting a clocking means for clocking the detection time of color data in a detection means and a specifying means for specifying the taking-up speed in a control means on the basis of said detection time. CONSTITUTION:A ribbon motor control part is constituted of a CPU controlling the whole of a recording apparatus, an ROM storing processing procedure and an RAM used as a work area at the time of the execution of control and, at first, operation judging the head of one page is performed and, in case of the head of one page, a bar code reader controls a ribbon motor at the max. speed max capable of reading a bar code in order to calculate the radius of the ribbon on a ribbon taking-up side at the head of one page and the bar code reading time at that time is clocked by a timer to calculate the radius. Next, in order to minimize a bar code detecting time, the number of rotations of the ribbon motor is determined from the calculated radius to control the ribbon motor and, when the bar code corresponding to a desired color is detected, printing is performed using the color continuing to said bar code. When one page is completed, printing processing is completed. Therefore, high speed printing can be performed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a recording device, and more particularly, to a recording device that performs color recording using a color ink ribbon.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, in a color ink ribbon used in this type of device, a detection area in which a bar code is recorded as color information corresponding to each color is provided between application areas where ink of each color is applied. . The detection method uses barcode league to detect each color by reading the number of barcodes. Here, a conventional reading method will be explained below.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a general recording mechanism, and in the same figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a platen (not shown) that winds and feeds recording paper and serves as a recording stand.

A guide rail 2 is installed near the platen l in parallel with the platen, and a carriage 3 is slidably directed and guided on the guide rail 2. The carriage 3 is movable along the platen 1 by driving by a drive means (not shown), and a recording head 4 configured as a thermal head, for example, is mounted on the carriage 3.

Further, a ribbon cassette 5 containing a color ink ribbon 6 is removably mounted on the carriage 3. A recess 5a is formed in the center of the front side of the ribbon cassette 5, and the color ink ribbon 6 is exposed and stretched at the front edge of the recess 5a. The recording head 4 is fitted into the recess 5a, faces the color ink ribbon 6, and performs recording using the color ink ribbon 6.

As shown in FIG. 3, the color ink ribbon 6 is repeatedly coated with different color inks of red, green, and blue over a predetermined length, and a color detection sensor is used between the coated areas. A sensor provided with a detection area in which a bar code indicating color information is recorded is used. The color ink ribbon 6 is rotated in the direction shown by arrow a by the drive of a ribbon motor 8 mounted on the carriage 3, and is sent into contact with the front surface of the recording head 4. Further, as shown in the figure, a recess 5b is also provided at the side edge of the ribbon cassette 5, from which the color ink ribbon 6 is exposed and stretched. The portion exposed to the recess 5b is an unused portion of the color ink ribbon 6, and is sent to the recess 5a after passing through the recess 5b. Furthermore, a barcode reader 7 is provided on the carriage 3 to read the barcode on the color ink ribbon 6, and a light emitting section 71 and a light receiving section 7 are provided.
It is configured as a transmission type photosensor consisting of two parts. The light emitting section 71 is fitted into the recess 5b of the ribbon cassette 5, while the light receiving section 72 is arranged to face the light emitting section 71 with the color ink ribbon 6 interposed therebetween.

In the above mechanism, when printing in a desired color,
The ribbon motor 8 is driven at a predetermined rotation speed to wind up the color ink ribbon 6, and the barcode reader 7 reads the barcode of the ribbon 6 sent in the direction of arrow a, and reads the barcode corresponding to the desired color. If so, print in that color.

Here, the color ink ribbon 6 is attached to the barcode reader section 7.
The speed V (cm/sec) of passing through the ribbon motor 8, the rotation speed n (times/sec) of the ribbon motor 8 at that time, and the color-in multi-ribbon 6
The following relational expression holds true between the radius R (cIlb) on the winding side.

V=2πR−n...■However,
There is an upper limit to the rotational speed of the ribbon motor 8, that is, the winding speed of the color-in ribbon 6, which is determined by the ability of the barcode reader 7 to identify barcodes.

Therefore, the winding speed at which the barcode reader 7 can identify the barcode, that is, the maximum speed at which the color ink ribbon 6 passes through the barcode reader section 7 is VIII
ax (cm/sec), and the rotation speed of the ribbon motor 8 at that time is nmax (times/sec), the above relational expression ■
From, Va+ax = 2 x R-nmax
---■ becomes. In addition, in the above relational expression (■), if the rotation speed n is constant, the radius R at which the passing speed V is maximum
is the radius re at the end of use of the color ink ribbon 6 shown in FIG. 4(C), which is the maximum radius among FIGS. 4(a) to 4(c).

That is, barcode league 7 needs to identify the barcode at this radius rc, and as a result, Vmax = 2
πrc e n1laX m■, and the maximum number of rotations of the ribbon motor 8 is determined by the following relational expression.

As a result of the above, conventionally, the ribbon motor 8
was controlled to drive.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the conventional example described above, as shown in FIG. 4(a), at the beginning of winding the color ink ribbon, the radius on the winding side of the ribbon is r. The speed V of the ink ribbon passing through the barcode league part is (r,/rc) times V wax, which is given by the above relational expressions (2) and (2), =2πra'n.

Therefore, the speed at the beginning of ribbon winding is (rC/ra) times faster than at the end of winding.

The present invention was made to solve the above problems, and
An object of the present invention is to provide a recording device that enables high-speed printing by detecting a desired color at maximum detection speed.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, a recording device of the present invention has the following configuration. That is, a control means for controlling the winding of a color ink ribbon repeatedly coated with a plurality of different colors of ink every predetermined length, and color information corresponding to each color of the color ink ribbon according to the winding by the control means. A recording apparatus comprising a detection means for detecting color information, and a recording means for performing color recording in a desired color using the detection means, a clock means for clocking a detection time for detecting color information by the detection means, and a clock means for measuring the detection time for detecting color information by the detection means; and specifying means for specifying the winding speed by the control means based on the detection time at.

[Operation 1] In the above configuration, the winding of the color ink ribbon, which has been repeatedly coated with a plurality of different colors of ink every predetermined length, is controlled, and color information corresponding to each color of the color ink ribbon is transmitted according to the winding. At the same time, a detection time for detecting color information is measured, a winding speed of the control means is specified based on the detection time, and a desired color is detected and recorded at that speed.

[Embodiment] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

How to find the radius> First, the winding side radius R of the color ink ribbon mentioned above.
The calculation method is explained below.

In this embodiment, the method for calculating the radius rn is different depending on whether printing is performed at the beginning of the page, that is, for the first time, or when printing is performed at a location other than the beginning.

First, the winding side radius r of the color ink ribbon at the top of the page. We will explain the case of finding .

First, using a color ink ribbon whose barcode width a is constant as shown in Figure 3,
Which winding side radius (ra to rc) is the barcode league?
), which corresponds to the speed at which barcodes can be identified.
That is, the ribbon motor is rotated at the above-mentioned nmax (times/second), and the time t (seconds) during which the barcode passes is detected.

As a result, the speed at which the color ink ribbon passes through the barcode league part due to the time t (seconds) and the width a (CO+) is a/l (cm/second).

Further, the number of rotations of the ribbon motor is nmax (times/second), and the following relational expression (2) holds true.

2πra11nmax = a/l −・・■
Therefore, the radius rn on the winding side of the color ink ribbon
is determined by the following formula (■).

Next, a case will be described in which the ribbon winding side radius r1 at a position other than the top of the page is determined.

In the second case, the ribbon motor is rotating at a rotation speed n that minimizes the time it takes to detect a barcode, and the ribbon winding radius is r. becomes.

<How to find the speed> Here, we will explain the maximum ribbon winding speed at which the barcode league can identify the barcode, that is, the speed at which the barcode detection time is minimized based on the radius rn found in the two cases described above. .

From the maximum discernible rotation speed n wax mentioned above, V plow ax = 2 x r c n wax
... (Formula 1) Also, if the maximum speed of ribbon winding when the radius is r0 is 08, then Vmax = 2 tt rllnX +++
(Equation 2) Therefore, from (Equation 1) (Equation 2), e nx: naaXψKasakyoku ■ a Therefore, the ribbon winding radius is r. In order for the barcode league to find the barcode in the minimum time, the ribbon motor should be driven at a rotational speed of nff1aX.

a <Description of Control Procedure (FIG. 1)> Next, the control procedure in this embodiment will be explained below according to the flowchart shown in FIG.

In addition, in this embodiment, the control of the ribbon motor described above is as follows.
This is performed by a control unit (not shown), and the control unit includes a CPU that controls the entire recording apparatus, a ROM that stores CPU processing procedures (programs), and a RAM that is used as a work area when the CPU executes control. has been done.

First, in step Sl, it is determined whether it is the top of the above-mentioned page using, for example, a flag indicating the state,
If it is the top of one page, the process advances to step S2. In this step S2, 0 is detected, and the amount of ribbon winding at the top of the page is detected, that is, the radius on the ribbon winding side is determined. Specifically, the barcode league controls the ribbon motor at the maximum speed nwax at which the barcode can be read, measures the barcode reading time using a timer (not shown), and calculates the radius.

Next, in step S4, the number of rotations of the ribbon motor is determined from the obtained radius in order to minimize the barcode detection time. In the subsequent step S5, the ribbon motor is controlled according to the determined rotational speed, and when a barcode corresponding to a desired color is detected, printing is performed in the following color after that barcode.

Then, the process proceeds to step S6, where it is determined whether one page has been completed, and if it has been completed, the printing process is ended. However, if it has not finished, the process returns to step S3,
Print continuously.

Then, in step S3, the ribbon motor is driven at the rotational speed of the ribbon motor determined in step S4 described above, and at the same time as the barcode of the desired color is detected, the amount of ribbon winding other than at the top of the page is detected, that is, the radius is determined. Perform processing.

According to this embodiment, it is no longer necessary to take longer to find a certain color near the beginning of ribbon winding than near the end of ribbon winding, and the amount of ribbon winding can be adjusted every time a barcode is detected. Since the ribbon is detected, there is almost no error in the winding amount due to ribbon consumption (as a result, it is possible to always search for the desired color at the maximum speed, and the printing throughput is faster.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, there is an effect that high-speed printing can be performed by detecting a desired color at the maximum detection speed.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure in this embodiment, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a general recording surface, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a color ink ribbon, and FIGS.
(C) is a diagram showing the state of the ribbon cassette at each radius. In the diagram, l... platen, 2... guide rail, 3
... Carriage, 4... Recording head, 5... Ribbon cassette, 6... Color ink ribbon, 7... Barcode reader, 8... Ribbon motor. Patent applicant Canon Co., Ltd. Figure 1

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A control means for controlling the winding of a color ink ribbon repeatedly coated with a plurality of different colors of ink every predetermined length, and a control means for controlling the winding of the color ink ribbon according to the winding by the control means. In a recording apparatus having a detection means for detecting color information corresponding to each color, and a recording means for performing color recording in a desired color by the detection means, a timer for measuring the detection time for detecting the color information by the detection means. A recording device comprising: means; and specifying means for specifying the winding speed of the control means based on the time detected by the clock means.