JPH04244856A - Printing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To mechanically alter the printing size due to a printer to an arbitrary size, especially, a small printing size. CONSTITUTION:A dot printer 6 is mounted on the printer base stand 1 moving according to the rotation of a cylindrical cam shaft 2 so as to be freely rotatable in the axial direction of the cam shaft 2 and rotated by the angle control motor 8 mounted on the printer base stand 1 in the same way to set the angle of the printing head 6F of the printer 6 to a predetermined angle.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Industrial Field of Application] The present invention is used in the technical field of card printing devices that print on cards such as parking tickets. This invention relates to a printing device whose size can be changed.

0002

[Prior Art] In the case of a serial printer that prints characters one by one, the size of the characters to be printed, that is, the height (
h) and width (w) are determined to a certain standard value depending on the number of dots of the dot printer used. For example, 9 x 7
For dot printers, the vertical spacing between each dot is 0.405
mm, and the product of the dot itself is 0.3 mm, so height (h) = 0.405 x 8 + 0.3 = 3.54 mm
Also, since the horizontal interval between each dot is 0.3 mm, the width (w) = 0.3 x 6 + 0.3 = 2.1 mm, and therefore, one character is 3.54 mm x 2.1 mm. It is designed to be printed in a standard size (h/w=1.69). On the other hand, in the case of commonly used printers with a large number of dots, in addition to the standard character size, it is also possible to change the size to double-width or half-width using software, but as mentioned above, In the case of small-sized printers with a small number of dots, such as 9×7 dots, it is difficult to change to double-width or half-width, and generally the print size is always limited to the standard size.

0003

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] However, even when printing on cards using such a small printer, it is necessary to change (reduce) the size of the characters in accordance with the dimensions of the card printing field. In particular, when printing on cards with a narrow printing space, such as parking tickets or prepaid cards, the print must be small and fit the size of the printing field, and conventional small printers cannot do this. I was unable to fully respond to your request.

[0004] Accordingly, a technical problem of the present invention is to make it possible to mechanically (physically) change the print size of a printer to an arbitrary size, particularly to a print smaller than the standard size.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The measures taken in the present invention to solve the above technical problems are as follows. In a printing device configured such that a dot printer is mounted on a printer base that moves according to the rotation of a cylindrical cam shaft, and the dot printer prints while moving along the cylindrical cam shaft, (1) the above dot printer is The dot printer is attached to the printer base so as to be rotatable in the axial direction, and a rotating means is attached to the printer base to rotate the dot printer and tilt the printer head at a predetermined angle. (2) By forming a rotation gear on the circumferential surface of the dot printer and meshing the drive pinion of the angle adjustment motor attached to the printer base with this gear, the dot printer can be configured to rotate freely, and the above-mentioned The motor is connected to an angle setting means that can adjust the rotation angle of the motor to tilt the printer head to a predetermined angle.

[0006]

[Operation] The above means operates as follows. ■ The factor (1) above is that when the dot printer is rotated using the rotation means and the printer head is tilted, the height of the character (h
) becomes lower, and conversely, the width (w) becomes wider, making it possible to print in narrowly spaced printing fields.Furthermore, by deepening the inclination of the printer head, the height (h) of the characters becomes even lower. This makes it possible to print in a narrower printing field.

[0007] The above element (2) rotates the angle adjustment motor by the angle set by the angle setting means, and the drive pinion sends a gear to rotate the dot printer by the set angle. By tilting it at a predetermined angle, it is possible to set the size of the print, that is, the height (h) to match the spacing between the print fields. As described above, the above-mentioned technical problem can be solved by the above-mentioned means, and the problems of the conventional technology can be solved.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the above-mentioned printing apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the entire printing device according to the present invention.
3 shows a side view, and FIG. 3 shows a front view. In these drawings, 1 is a printer base, and 2 is a cylindrical cam that moves this printer base 1 laterally. shaft,
3 is a guide shaft 1d that guides the movement of the printer base 1;
indicates a fitting groove into which the guide shaft 3 is fitted.

A cam groove 2a is recessed in the circumferential surface of the cylindrical camshaft 2, and by fitting the guide pin 1a on the printer base 1 side into this cam groove 2a, the cylindrical camshaft 2 is connected to the printer moving motor 4. When the printer base 1 rotates, the printer base 1 reciprocates laterally along the cylindrical cam shaft 2.Furthermore, this printer movement motor 4 rotates in accordance with the inclination angle of the printer head, which will be described later. It has a mechanism that allows the speed to be varied and the head feed speed to be programmably controlled. In FIG. 1, 2b is a rotating gear of the cylindrical camshaft 2, 4a is a driving gear of the motor 4, and 5 is meshed between the driving gear 4a and the rotating gear 2b of the cylindrical camshaft 2. An interlocking gear that transmits the rotation of the motor 4 to the cylindrical camshaft 2 is shown.

Next, reference numeral 6 denotes a dot printer rotatably mounted between the front and rear brackets 1b and 1c of the printer base 1 using a shaft 6c.
a projects forward of the printer base 1 through the front bracket 1b, and a guide 7 for a printing ribbon (not shown) is attached to the printer tip 6a, and the entire printer is formed into a drum shape. On the circumferential surface of the body of the dot printer 6,
A rotating gear 6b is provided protrudingly in a ring shape. Further, this dot printer 6 is also configured so that its dot timing can be program-controlled in correspondence with the inclination angle of the printer head, which will be described later. In addition to the above-mentioned dot printer 6, the printer base 1 is equipped with a ribbon cassette containing printing ribbon, and the dot printer 6 is also connected to flexible wiring for control. Since this is a well-known item, it is omitted from the drawing.

Furthermore, in the figure, reference numeral 8 denotes a pulse motor for adjusting the angle attached to the front bracket 1b of the printer base 1, and its drive pinion 8a meshes with the rotating gear 6b of the dot printer 6. Dot printer 6
The printer head 6F is rotatable, so that the angle of the printer head 6F can be adjusted to a predetermined angle. Also, 9
indicates a printing platen provided opposite the printer head 6F.

FIG. 4 shows the degree of inclination of the printer head 6F in the order of 60°, 54°, 45°, and 36°. Incidentally, when the dot printer 6 has 9×7 dots, When the inclination is 0°, the height of the characters (
h)=3.54mm, width (w)=2.1mm and h/w=
1.69, but for example, if it is tilted at 45°, h
'=0.405×8×cos45°+0.3=2.59
mm, w'=0.405×6×sin45°+0.3=
2.02 mm, therefore, h'/w'=1.28, and the characters can be changed to lower and smaller characters as a whole.

Furthermore, the inclination of the printer head 6F is 54°.
As you advance to ~60°, the letters become smaller and smaller, and on the contrary, 36
In the case of a shallow slope of about 100 degrees, h = 2.89 mm, w = 1
．． At 758 mm, the size is approximately h/w = 1.64. Furthermore, if the inclination of the printer head 6F is set to 90 degrees, it becomes possible to print on the card with the card oriented horizontally at 90 degrees, and by tilting the printer head 6F as described above, the printing It is possible to perform this in both the vertical and horizontal directions of the card feeding direction and the moving direction of the dot printer 6.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a control device used in the printing device of the present invention. This control device, which is constructed using a microcomputer, has a central CPU 10 as shown in the figure. and a memory 11 that stores programs for adjusting dot printing timing and head feeding speed in accordance with the set angle of the printer head 6F, as well as various other system programs.
These devices are equipped with an interface circuit 12 connected via a bus between the CPU 10 and the memory 11, and this interface circuit 12 includes the above-mentioned printer movement motor 4, dot printer 6, and angle adjustment motor 8. In addition, there is a transport motor 13 that transports the inserted printing card, a card detection sensor 14 that detects the inserted printing card, and a card detection sensor 14 that detects the printing card when the printing card is a magnetic card. A magnetic head 15 that reads and writes magnetic data together, a dot timing sensor 16 for the dot printer 6, and a home position sensor 1
7, and an angle setting means 20 that can adjust the rotation angle of the angle adjustment motor 8 and set the inclination angle of the printer head 6F to a plurality of preset angles, each of which is monitored by the CPU 10. The system is controlled and operated according to the system program stored in the memory 11. The angle setting means 20 may be, for example, a selection key type or a dial switch type, in addition to the slide type switch device shown in the figure, and its configuration is arbitrary.

Since the printing apparatus according to the present invention has the above-described configuration, the angle setting means 20 sets the inclination angle of the printer head 6F to a predetermined angle according to the printing field or printing space of the printing card to be used. When set to , the angle adjustment motor 8 rotates the dot printer 6 in the axial direction to tilt the printer head 6F to the set angle, and in addition, the dot printing timing and head feed speed are adjusted to the set angle according to the program in the memory 11. Since the height (h) and width (w) are changed accordingly, it is possible to print characters of a predetermined height (h) and width (w) on a printing card. In addition, the printer head 6
When F is tilted as described above, it is possible to print characters smaller than the standard in both the vertical and horizontal directions of the printing card feeding direction and the moving direction of the dot printer 6. When the inclination angle of the head 6F is set to 90 degrees, it is possible to print in a state where the printing directions are different by 90 degrees vertically and horizontally.

[0016]

[Effects of the Invention] Therefore, according to the printing device of the present invention, printing smaller than the standard size can be performed by a mechanic operation of rotating the dot printer using the angle adjustment motor and tilting the printer head at a predetermined angle. It is also possible to print both vertically and horizontally in the feeding direction of the printing card and the moving direction of the dot printer.
It is particularly suitable for use in small printers that have a small number of dots and are difficult to change font size using software.
For example, both a magnetic parking ticket and a prepaid card can be inserted, and the disposable parking ticket has relatively large letters in the card feeding direction (vertical direction), such as entry and exit times. A parking lot printing processing device that prints parking information such as parking time and parking fee, and also prints parking information and amount information in relatively small characters in multi-stage format for prepaid cards, etc. Print processing equipment for access control devices that control entry and exit of various facilities, or
It is also suitable for use in printing processing devices for various other cards.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a printing device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially sectional side view of a printing device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a printing device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a tilted state of the printer head.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a control device used in the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Printer base 2 Cylindrical cam shaft 2a Cam groove 4 Printer movement motor 6
Dot printer 6b Rotating gear 6F Printer head 8 Angle adjustment pulse motor 8a
Drive pinion 20 angle setting means

Claims (2)

[Claims] Claim 1: A printing device in which a dot printer is mounted on a printer base that moves according to the rotation of a cylindrical cam shaft, and the dot printer is configured to print while moving along the cylindrical cam shaft. While the printer is attached to the printer base so that it can rotate freely in the axial direction,
A printing device characterized in that a rotating means is attached to the printer base to rotate the dot printer and tilt the printer head at a predetermined angle. [Claim 2] A rotating gear is formed on the circumferential surface of the dot printer, and a driving pinion of an angle adjustment motor attached to the printer base is engaged with this gear, so that the dot printer can be freely rotated. 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said motor is connected to an angle setting means capable of adjusting the rotation angle of the motor and tilting the printer head to a predetermined angle.