JPH0470152B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention provides a method for immediately confirming printing by a printer head of a printing device such as an electronic personal printer on a display body integrally attached to the printer head. The present invention relates to a printer head with a display body as described above.

[Problems with the prior art] Generally speaking, in the case of electronic personal printers (hereinafter abbreviated as printers) that use a printer head such as a thermal head, printing by the thermal head, for example, can be performed at a distance from the position of the thermal head. This can be confirmed on the display located on the top of the keyboard.

Therefore, especially for key punchers, which are accustomed to using conventional mechanical typewriters, etc., there is a problem in that they are difficult to handle because the line of sight is inevitably directed to the printed portion of the thermal head. In addition, some devices have display bodies provided in other parts, but such devices require mounting jigs and space, making them unsuitable for small models.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention was made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to make it possible to confirm printing by a printer head while looking at the printer head,
To provide a printer head with a display that is easy to handle and can print accurately.

[Summary of the invention]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a confirmation display body integrally with a printer head, and connects the display body to a key section such as a keyboard of a printing device via a control system circuit. When the printer is operated, the characters, symbols, etc. printed by the thermal head are simultaneously displayed on the display body, and the printer is characterized in that it is possible to print while directing the line of sight to the printing section.

[Embodiments of the invention]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a printer in which the present invention is implemented, Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing how the display body is attached to the thermal head, Fig. 3 is a side view of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is the display body. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a control system circuit used in the printer shown in FIG. 1.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a printer, and a keyboard portion 2 is provided on the front surface of the printer 1, and a group of keys 3, . . . are arranged on the keyboard portion 2. As shown in FIG. 4 is a printing mechanism section, 5 is a liquid crystal display section, 6 is an ink ribbon cartridge, 7 is a thermal head, and 8 is a guide member for moving the thermal head.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the printing mechanism 4 includes a platen 9, which is a paper support plate, and a thermal head 7.
a mounting portion 10 for pressing the platen 9 toward the platen 9;
The shaft 11 rotatably supports the mounting portion 10. Note that the attachment portion 10 is configured so that the ink ribbon cartridge 6 is attached, but it is omitted in this drawing. In the figure,
30 and 31 are lead members such as flexible cables.

A display 12 using a liquid crystal or the like is integrally attached to the back side of the thermal head 7, and when the key 3 is operated, the printing mechanism 4 is activated and the fourth
As shown in the figure, characters, symbols, etc. are displayed.

That is, the display body 12 and the key 3 are connected via a control system circuit shown in FIG.

When the key 3 of the keyboard section 2 is operated, the control system circuit sends the key 3 to the central control unit (CPU) 13.
The signal is input, and the signal causes the CPU 13 to
The address of the information stored in the PROM 14 or PRAM 15 is specified, and the information such as characters and symbols within the specified address is input again to the CPU 13. The CPU 13 transmits the information to the printing mechanism 4 via the printing mechanism driver 16, and the thermal head 7 prints on paper fed between the thermal head 7 and the platen 9. at the same time,
The CPU 13 transmits the information via a decoder 17 to a display unit 12 that is integrally attached to a liquid crystal display unit 5 on which characters for each phrase are displayed and a thermal head 7. 7 characters to print,
It is set so that symbols etc. are displayed. In the figure, 18 is a display controller of the liquid crystal display unit 5, and 19 is a display controller of the display body 12.

[Operation of the present invention]

According to the present invention having the above configuration, first, when the key 3 is operated, information on the characters and symbols specified by the key 3 is simultaneously transmitted to the thermal head 7, the liquid crystal display section 5, and the display body 12 via the control system circuit. The characters, symbols, etc. printed by the thermal head 7 are displayed on the liquid crystal display section 5 and the display body 12.

Therefore, the person handling the printer 1 should check each character, symbol, etc. printed by the thermal head 7 on the display 12 attached to the thermal head 7, and check when a phrase has been printed. It is now possible to check typographical errors and omissions using the liquid crystal display unit 5, and the printer 1
This will ensure that the printing is done correctly.

FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. In this example, a display body 20 capable of projecting two characters is attached to the thermal head 7, and the characters, symbols, etc. 20a projected when the key 3 is operated are dark and uniform. The characters and symbols 20b that were projected by operating the key 3 before the characters are projected in a thinner manner.

In this case as well, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be achieved, but the printed characters can be confirmed more reliably.

FIG. 7 shows a third embodiment of the present invention, in which the present invention is applied to a line printer 21, and the same operations and effects can be achieved in this case as well. Note that 22 is a platen, and 23 is a line thermal head.

[Effects of the present invention]

As is clear from the above configuration, according to the present invention, printing by the printer head can be confirmed while checking the printer head on the display body provided integrally with the printer head, which reduces line of sight movement, making it easy to handle and accurate. This provides effects such as making it possible to print characters with high quality. Furthermore, since the display body is provided integrally with the printer head, no mounting jig or space is required, and the present invention is effective for application to any type of printer, especially small ones.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention applied to a printer, Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing how a display body is attached to a thermal head, Fig. 3 is a side view of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 5 is a front view of a liquid crystal display attached to the printer head of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of a control system circuit used in the printer shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment of the present invention in which two characters can be printed on a display, and FIG. 7 shows a third embodiment of the present invention applied to a line printer. 1...Printer, 2...Keyboard part, 3...Key,
7...Thermal head (printer head), 12...
Display body operated via control circuit A connected to the key.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In a printer head of a printing device such as an electronic printer, at least one display body for displaying characters and symbols printed by the printer head is provided in the printer head, and the display body A printer head with a display, characterized in that the printer head is connected to keys provided on a keyboard of a printing device via a control circuit. 2. The control system circuit includes a central processing unit that outputs signals input from keys to the printing mechanism of the printing device, the display section provided above the keyboard, and the display body. A printer head with a display according to claim 1.