JPH0350709B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a dot printing method and apparatus suitable for use in a dot printer that performs dot matrix printing by the printing operation of a group of printing wires.

In an impact printer using a 7x5 dot matrix pattern, which is an example of a dot printer, characters or symbols are printed in 7 dots in the column direction and 5 dots in the row direction.
The printing shown in Figure 1 is performed using 7 x 5 = 35 dots, but with this method, the distance between each dot is wide and the entire printing is formed by dotted lines, so the characters are unclear. It is difficult to read, and only numbers, alphanumeric characters, and simple symbols can be printed, and complex characters such as kana characters and kanji cannot be printed.

This problem can be solved by adding more printing wires to increase the number of dots, for example 14 x 10 dots or 21 x 15 dots, but increasing the number of dots requires a corresponding increase in the control mechanism. Since the control program becomes complicated and the cost increases, it is not suitable for a printer of a printing device such as a time recorder or a register that prints only simple characters, numbers, alphanumeric symbols, etc., for example.

The present invention has been developed in view of the above-mentioned points, and its purpose is to make it possible for even a simple dot printer with a number of rows (number of wires) of 7 dots to have some overlap between adjacent dots. To provide a dot printing method and device devised so that kana characters, simple kanji characters, etc. can be printed clearly and easily in a straight line.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object of the present invention, first, the number of dots in the row direction (horizontal direction) and the pitch interval can be easily determined by changing the control program and varying the feed speed of the printer head. Focusing on the fact that the printing head can be increased or decreased, when the printer head moves back and forth, each printing wire is operated many times at narrow pitch intervals so that adjacent line dots partially overlap and horizontal lines in particular are printed almost linearly. When the printer head moves back, the entire printer head is displaced by about half a pitch in either the up or down column direction, and then, while moving the printer head back, each printing wire is moved at the same pitch interval as when moving forward. Moreover, by performing the printing operation without performing printing corresponding to the above-mentioned horizontal lines, the printing corresponding to other vertical lines or diagonal lines other than the horizontal lines may be partially overlapped between the vertically adjacent column dots. The dots are printed so that they touch each other, and by this back-and-forth printing, it is possible to print beautiful characters with no gaps between adjacent dots.

Next, a preferred embodiment of the present invention described above will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2 to 4 show examples of printing patterns according to the present invention. In the case of the normal 7×5 dot matrix pattern shown in FIG. 1, the line spacing between each dot is "A". and the column spacing "B" are equal to each other at 0.4/mm, and a total of 35 dots are printed. However, in the present invention, each row spacing "C" is set to half of the above spacing "A", that is, 0.2/mm. The row spacing "B" during forward movement of the printer head is the same as the conventional example above.
It is configured to print at 0.4/mm, therefore,
When the printer head moves forward, one character is 7 x 9 =
It has 63 dots, and is designed to print at the same size as 7 x 5 dots.

As the printer head moves forward, the characters printed with the above 63 dots are printed almost linearly as shown in Figure 2, with the horizontal line 1 partially overlapping the adjacent line dots, and the vertical line 2 or diagonal line As shown in 3, there are no gaps between the dots.

After the above-mentioned outward printing is completed, the printer head is then moved backwards to perform return printing.For this return printing, first move the printer head itself either up or down in the column direction (vertical direction). half pitch,
That is, after rotating by 0.2/mm, it is moved back. FIG. 3 shows the printing pattern during this backward movement, and in the case shown, the printer head is rotated downward by half a pitch (indicated by the interval "D") and moved backward, and the printer head is By control, only printing excluding the horizontal line 1 is performed.

In this way, the characters that are compositely printed by one reciprocating movement of the printer head are as shown in Figure 4.
In each of the vertical and diagonal lines 1, 2, and 3, dots in adjacent rows and columns partially overlap or touch each other to form a straight line, so that clear and easy-to-read characters, symbols, etc. are printed without dot spacing. be able to.

Next, an embodiment of the dot printer used in the present invention will be described based on the descriptions in FIGS. 5 to 7.

In the figure, reference numeral 10 denotes the print body, and a total of seven printing wires 12 are installed in a vertical line in the head 11, and each of these wires 12 is operated and protruded independently in response to a signal. A printing card inserted between the head 11 and the platen (not shown), or
It is designed to print characters in a dot matrix pattern on other paper. Reference numeral 13 denotes a printer stand to which the printer main body 10 is attached, and the printer stand 13, which is generally L-shaped in its entirety, has left and right frames 14, at the rear upper end and bottom front end, respectively.
Two guide shafts 16 and 17, one for fulcrum and one for variable, are inserted horizontally between 15, and the printer stand 13 is guided by these two guide shafts 16 and 17 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The printing is moved in the horizontal direction.

Further, reference numeral 18 denotes a camshaft having an endless spiral guide groove 19 recessed in its circumferential surface.
The tip of a guide protrusion 13a protruding from the bottom surface of the printer stand 13 is fitted into the groove 19 of the camshaft 18, which is installed between the camshafts 18 and 5.
The printer stand 13 reciprocates in the left-right and lateral directions by controlled rotation. Reference numeral 18a denotes an interlocking gear attached to the outer end of the camshaft 18, and a drive gear (not shown) on the motor side meshes with this gear 18a to rotate the camshaft 18.

Next, 20 and 21 are the variable guide shafts 1 mentioned above.
These bearings 20,
21 are movably fitted into guide holes 22 and 23 formed in left and right frames 14 and 15, respectively. The variable guide shaft 17 is the left and right frame 1
The bearings 20 and 15 are formed longer than the distance between the bearings 20 and 15 by one bearing, and are attached to both ends of the bearings 20 and 15.
21 is always the frame 14 or 1
5, that is, on the movement path of the printer stand 13, and as the printer stand 13 moves based on the rotation of the camshaft 18, the printer stand 1
3 pushes the protruding bearing 20 or 21, the entire variable guide shaft 17 is pushed laterally and the other bearing 20 or 21 protrudes to the inner surface of the frame 14 or 15.

As described above, the upper and lower surfaces of both bearings 20 and 21, which move together with the variable guide shaft 17 in the guide holes 22 and 23, form relative inclined surfaces 20a and 20b and 21a and 21b, respectively. Therefore, when the left bearing 20 is pushed into the guide hole 22 by moving the printer stand 13 to the left from the state shown in FIG.
The variable guide shaft 17 is displaced downward by the mutual guidance of the vertically inclined surfaces 20a to 21b of 0 and 21 and both guide holes 22 and 23, and the entire printer stand 13, that is, the printer head 11 is used as a fulcrum. The guide shaft 16 is used as a fulcrum to rotate downward as shown in FIG. Furthermore, when the printer stand 13 moves to the right from the state shown in FIG. 6 and pushes the bearing 21 on the right side into the guide hole 23 as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. Return to the horizontal state shown in .

The amount of rotation of the printer stand 13, that is, the printer head 11 described above is equal to the row dot interval "B" described above.
Since it is half of 0.2/mm (distance "D"), there is no problem with printing by the wires 12 even if the printer head 11 is rotated in an arc with respect to the platen. It goes without saying that the amount of rotation of the printer head 11 can be freely adjusted by changing the inclination angle of the left and right bearings 20 and 21.
By forming the slope of 0,21 in the opposite direction,
It is also possible to print by rotating the printer head 11 upward by half a pitch (0.2/mm).

In addition, in FIGS. 5 and 6, the bearings 20, 21
Although the steps of each slope are shown with considerable emphasis, this is only shown for convenience in the drawing.
Of course, when "D" is 0.2/mm, the step difference is 0.2/mm.

The above-mentioned device displaces the printer head 11 in the half-pitch row direction when the printer head 11 moves backward to print in the printing pattern shown in FIG. 3, and the state shown in FIG. It shows a printing state, that is, a state in which the printing pattern shown in FIG. 2 is being printed. The printer body 10 is always stopped at the starting position slightly to the right of the position shown in Figure 5, but when receiving a printing command such as by inserting a printing card, it first moves to the right to the initial position shown by the imaginary line in Figure 5. The bearing 21 on the right side is pushed, the whole is kept horizontal, and forward printing is started in the left direction.

As described above, the forward printing is performed under program control so that the line spacing "C" is half the pitch of the column spacing "B", and printing is performed in accordance with the printing pattern illustrated in FIG. 2. When forward printing is completed, the printer stand 13 pushes in the left bearing 20 as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 6, rotates the printer head 11 downward by half a pitch, and then turns to the right to print as shown in FIG. 3. It moves while performing backward printing of the pattern, and stops at the above-mentioned start position to complete clean printing with no dot spacing as shown in FIG. 4.

As described above, according to the present invention, even an extremely simple printer device such as a 7x5 dot can print a 14x10
Dots or 21 x 15 dots that have no gaps between each dot and can produce clear dot printing in which adjacent rows and columns of dots are continuous. Therefore, it is possible to print numbers, alphanumeric characters, etc. clearly. Of course, it is also possible to print kana characters and simple kanji, so it is especially useful for printers that do not print complicated kanji such as time recorders and registers, and have a limited number of prints at one time. It is suitable for use in public transport, and is also economical in that it is simple in structure and easy to implement.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a printing pattern using a 7×5 dot matrix, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a printing pattern for forward printing according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a printing pattern for forward printing according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a printing pattern completed by reciprocating printing of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a printing pattern completed by the reciprocating printing of the present invention. This is a front view showing the printing state. Figure 6 is a front view when printing on the same return trip, Figure 7 is Figure 5
- It is a cross-sectional view of the X-ray. 10... Printer body, 11... Printer head, 12... Printing wire, 13... Printer stand, 14, 15... Left and right frames, 16... Guide shaft for fulcrum, 17... Guide shaft for variable, 18...
...Camshaft, 20, 21...Left and right bearings, 20a,
20b, 21a, 21b...slanted surface, 22, 23
...Guide hole.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Vertical 1 each independently printing according to a signal.
In a dot printing method in which dot matrix-like dot printing is performed by reciprocating a printer head equipped with rows of printing wires in the row direction, each of the printing wires is The dots in adjacent rows are partially overlapped, and the horizontal lines in particular are printed at narrow pitch intervals, so that the dots are printed almost linearly. Also, when the printer head moves back, the printer head is moved in either the upper or lower column direction. The dot printing method is characterized in that the printing wires are rotated in pitches, and each of the printing wires is operated at the same pitch interval as when moving forward, but without printing the horizontal lines. 2 Vertical 1 that prints independently according to signals
In a dot printer device that performs dot matrix-like dot printing by reciprocating a printer head equipped with rows of printing wires in the row direction, the printer stand to which the printer head is attached can be used as a fulcrum. The variable guide shaft is mounted movably on the two guide shafts for use, and bearings are attached to both ends of the variable guide shaft, and these bearings are loosely fitted into the guide holes drilled in the left and right frames, and the above reciprocating movement is performed. By alternately pushing the left and right bearings of the printer stand, the variable guide shaft can be slid together with the bearings in the direction of movement of the printer stand, and the upper and lower surfaces of both bearings are formed into relative slopes. A dot printing device characterized by: