JPH068589A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To smoothly perform mechanical initial processing and usual printing operation at a predetermined speed with predetermined accuracy by discriminating that slow operation is necessary when the ambient temp. is lower that set temp. when a power supply is closed and performing slow operation on the basis of stored slow operation data. CONSTITUTION:Slow operation data necessary for making at least the generation torque of a carrier motor 40M larger than the torque at the time of usual printing operation and reciprocally moving a carrier 45 within a printing effective range once or more is stored in a slow operation data memory means 137. The ambient temp. is measured by ambient temp. measuring means 31, 32 when a power supply is closed and judging means 11, 12 compare the measured temp. with set temp. and it is judged that slow operation is necessary when the detected temp. is set temp. or lower. Further, slow operation execution control means 11, 12 perform slow operation on the basis of the slow operation data stored on condition that slow operation is judged to be necessary.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer for printing while moving a print head back and forth.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In FIG. 3, reference numeral 1 denotes a platen for forming a printing surface, and also has a paper feed function for rotating a paper feed motor 50M to feed a paper P in a predetermined direction. 45 is a carrier, which is a reduction gear driven by a carrier motor 40M,
It is reciprocated by a reciprocating mechanism including a sprocket and a timing belt 41. That is, the print head 30H mounted on the carrier 45 can reciprocate in the width direction of the paper P. A ribbon cassette 35 supplies an ink ribbon 36.

Reference numeral 2 is a gap adjusting device, which includes an adjusting lever 2L and an eccentric cam 2C, and is displaced in the vertical direction in FIG. 3 from a platen shaft 1S urged by a spring 2S, thereby forming a gap with a print head 30H. Adjust the gap. The adjusted gap G can be known by the position sensor 62 of the adjusting lever 31.

In such a printer, from the viewpoint of power saving, it is premised that the electric capacity of the carrier motor 40M, the paper feed motor 50M, the print head 30H, etc. can exhibit the respective functions, and the friction of each mechanism is reduced. The minimum is decided. Further, from the viewpoint of speeding up printing, the carrier 45 (printing head 30H) approaches the home position detector 61 located outside the effective printing range and stands by before starting printing, each motor 40M, 50M, etc. The rotation speed is being increased. Furthermore, to improve printing accuracy,
Each mechanism has been finely finished without backlash or backlash.

Thus, when the power is turned on, the mechanical processing is performed. For example, the carrier 45 described above may be brought close to the home position detector 61. After that, when a print command is received from the host device, based on the print data, the carrier motor 40M and the print head 30
H, the paper feed motor 50M, etc. are quantitatively driven and controlled in a predetermined order for printing.

[0006]

By the way, the reciprocating mechanism and the like are constructed by using many sliding parts, fitting parts, bearings and the like, and most of them are filled with lubricating oil. In addition, low temperature feasibility parts such as the timing belt 41 are also widely used.

Therefore, when the down time is long, and particularly when it is used in a low temperature environment, the load of each mechanism may become large and the predetermined mechanical processing may be impaired. Further, even if the mechanical processing can be performed, subsequent printing may not be performed at a predetermined speed and a predetermined accuracy. This disadvantage also occurs with respect to the print head 30H, the paper feed mechanism, etc., but in many cases, the reciprocating mechanism, which has a particularly complicated structure and has a large inertia, often occurs.

An object of the present invention is to provide a printer capable of accurately performing mechanical processing and smoothly printing at a predetermined speed and accuracy.

[0009]

A printer according to the present invention is a printer having a carrier motor for reciprocating a carrier and a reciprocating mechanism for printing while moving a print head mounted on the carrier in the paper width direction. , Ambient temperature detecting means for detecting the ambient temperature, and at least the carrier generated torque of the carrier motor is larger than the torque during the normal printing operation and different from the normal mechanical processing data, and the effective printing range is one or more round trips. Detecting by comparing the temperature detected by the ambient temperature detection means with the temperature set beforehand when the power is turned on and the slack operation data storage means that stores the slack operation data including the data necessary for moving If the temperature is below the set temperature, the determining means determines that slow operation is required, and the condition is that slow operation is determined to be necessary. A slow machine operation execution control means for operating slow machine based on the slow machine operation data storage means to slow machine operating data stored, characterized in that the provided.

[0010]

In the present invention having the above-mentioned structure, the discrimination means operates when the power is turned on, and when the temperature detected by the ambient temperature detection means is equal to or lower than the preset temperature, it is discriminated that the loose operation is necessary. Then, the slack machine operation execution control means performs the slack machine operation based on the slack machine operation data stored in the slack machine operation data storage means. Therefore, since the carrier motor is rotationally driven with a generated torque larger than the torque during the normal printing operation, the reciprocating mechanism is forcibly operated, and the carrier is moved one or more reciprocations within the effective printing range. Therefore, the lubricating oil with which the timing belt and other parts are filled is softened, and smooth operation can be achieved even if the required torque is small. Therefore, even after returning to the normal torque, the mechanical processing and the printing operation can be smoothly performed.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The printer (10) has the basic structure shown in FIG. 1, and includes an ambient temperature detecting means (31, 32), a loose machine operation data storage means 13T, a discriminating means (11, 12), and a slow machine operation execution control means (11). 11, 12) and the ambient temperature (T
When i) is low, at least the carrier motor 40M is set to the maximum torque, and the gradual operation for forcibly moving the carrier 45 in the effective printing range for one reciprocation or more is automatically performed.

First, as shown in FIG. 1, the basic configuration of the printer 10 includes a CPU 11 and an R for storing a printing program and the like.
The control unit includes an OM 12, a RAM 13, an interface (INT) 14 for receiving print data from a host device, an input / output port 15, an operation panel 20, and a print system unit.

The printing system unit includes a print head 30H (print head drive circuit 30) mounted on the carrier 45 and a carrier motor 4 for driving a reciprocating mechanism of the carrier 45.
0M (carrier drive circuit 40), paper feed motor 50M
(Paper feed drive circuit 50), Home position detector 6
1, including various sensors 60 including a position sensor 62 of the adjusting lever (2L) and the like, and has the same structure as that shown in FIG.

The ambient temperature detecting means is the printer 10.
The means for detecting the surrounding ambient temperature (Ti) may be installed in any of the main body case, the carrier 45, the reciprocating mechanism thereof, and the like, and the type is not limited, but in this embodiment, it is attached to the print head 30H. The thermistor 31 shown in FIG.
Is also used as the temperature detector 32. This is because if the temperature of the print head 30H is high, the printing operation is being performed immediately before, and if it is low, it can be accurately grasped that the print head 30H has been stopped for a considerably long time and the temperature sensitivity is expanded.

Next, the loosening operation data storage means 13T is
In the case of this embodiment, it is formed with a partial storage area of the RAM 13 of FIG. 1 and stores relaxor operation data different from normal mechanical processing data (stored in the RAM 13 or the ROM 12).

As the loose machine operation data, at least the generated torque (applied current) of the carrier motor 40M is larger than the torque (current) during the normal printing operation (the maximum torque is set in this embodiment) and the carrier 45 is printed. Data for making the effective range one round trip or more is essential. The data value can be changed by operating the keys on the operation panel 20. This is because, as shown in FIG. 3, the reciprocating mechanism of the carrier 45 including the sprocket, the timing belt 41, etc. has the most complicated structure, the inertia is large, and the low temperature curable material is used and the lubricating oil is filled in many places.

Further, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the data including the data for passing the current which allows the print head 30H to perform the printing operation but can be loosened and the data for maximizing the set current of the paper feed motor 50M are also included. There is.

Subsequently, the discriminating means detects the temperature (set temperature Ts) preset when the power is turned on and the ambient temperature detecting means (3).
1, 32) is a means for comparing with the temperature detected (detected temperature Ti) and determining that the slow operation is necessary when Ti ≦ Ts, and is composed of the CPU 11 and the ROM 12 and ST of FIG.
Run at 10.

The set temperature Ts is set and input from the operation panel 20 of FIG. 1 and stored in the work area of the RAM 13. As for the value of the set temperature Ts, for example, if the carrier motor 40M is driven by the generated torque (applied current) during the normal printing operation, the timing belt 41 of the reciprocating mechanism is set.
And the lubricating oil filled in various places is hardened, so that the temperature cannot reach a smooth operation (for example, 5
℃). However, the value can be changed.

Further, the slack machine operation execution control means determines that the slack machine operation is necessary by the determining means (11, 12) (S
(YES in T10) is a means for forcibly executing a slow operation different from the normal mechanical processing (ST12) based on the slow operation data stored in the slow operation data storage means 13T. Consists of S
It is executed at T11. The slack operation is performed by increasing the level of a control signal applied to the print head drive circuit 30, the carrier drive circuit 40, and the paper feed drive circuit 50.

If Ti> Ts (N in ST10)
In (O), the normal mechanical processing (ST12) is performed, and the print processing is performed based on the print command and print data received from the host device via the interface 14 (ST13, 14).

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. When the power is turned on, the ambient temperature detecting means (31, 32) detects the ambient temperature (temperature of the print head 30H) Ti. Then, the determination means (11, 12) compares the temperature Ts set and stored in advance with the detected temperature Ti, and automatically determines whether or not the slack operation is required (ST10 in FIG. 2).

When it is judged that the slow running is necessary because Ti ≦ Ts (YES in ST10), the slow running execution control means (1)
1, 12) executes a loose operation different from the normal mechanical processing based on the loose operation data stored in the loose operation data storage means 13T (ST11).

That is, the carrier motor 40M is set to the maximum torque, and moves the carrier 45 one or more reciprocations within the effective printing range via the reciprocating mechanism (41, etc.). Therefore, the timing belt 41, each lubricating oil, etc. are softened. Similarly, the paper feed motor 50M is driven with the maximum current, and the print head 30H is also loosened with a current that does not cause the printing operation.

Therefore, when this loose operation is completed,
For example, even if the torque generated by the carrier motor 40M is returned to a small torque during the normal printing operation, the operation can be smoothly performed. Thus, the CPU 11 thereafter performs the normal mechanical processing (ST12), and waits for the print command to start the printing operation (ST13, 14).

Therefore, according to this embodiment, the ambient temperature detecting means (31, 32) and the loosening machine operation data storing means 13 are provided.
T, the discriminating means (11, 12) and the loosening operation execution control means (11, 12) are provided, and when the ambient temperature Ti is lower than the set temperature Ts when the power is turned on, the carrier motor 40M has the maximum torque and the carrier 45. Since it is configured to perform a loosening operation different from the normal mechanical processing such as forcibly moving the effective printing range for one or more reciprocations, the timing belt 41 and the lubricating oil can be softened, and the subsequent mechanical processing and Normal printing operation can be performed smoothly at a predetermined speed and accuracy.

The ambient temperature detecting means is the print head 3
Since the thermistor 31 for temperature monitoring of 0H and the temperature detector 32 are also used, there is no burden on the equipment and the temperature sensitivity is enhanced and accurate temperature detection can be performed.

In addition, the loosening machine operation data includes the print head 3
Since the data includes data for loosening with a current that does not cause 0H printing operation, clear printing can be performed from the beginning.

Further, since the set temperature Ts and the loosening operation data can be changed by operating the keys of the operation panel 20, the applicability is wide and the printer 10 can be optimally operated.

[0030]

According to the present invention, the ambient temperature detecting means, the slack operation data storage means, the determining means and the slack operation execution control means are provided, and when the ambient temperature is lower than the set temperature when the power is turned on, the carrier is used. Since the motor is configured to perform a looser operation that is larger than the torque during the normal printing operation and forcibly moves the carrier for one or more reciprocating print effective ranges, which is different from the normal mechanical processing, Even if the temperature is low, the low temperature curable timing belt and each lubricating oil can be softened. Therefore, subsequent mechanical processing and normal printing operation can be smoothly performed at a predetermined speed and accuracy even with a small torque during normal printing operation.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is likewise a flow chart for explaining the operation.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a printing system unit of the present invention and a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Platen 2 Gap Adjustment Device 10 Printer 11 CPU (Discrimination Means, Slow Machine Operation Execution Control Means) 12 ROM (Discrimination Means, Slow Machine Operation Execution Control Means) 13 RAM 13T Slow Machine Operation Data Storage Means 30 Print Head Drive Circuit 30H Printing Head 31 Thermistor (ambient temperature detection means) 32 Temperature detector (ambient temperature detection means) 40 Carrier drive circuit 40M Carrier motor 41 Timing belt (reciprocating mechanism) 45 Carrier 50 Paper feed drive circuit 50M Paper feed motor Ts Set temperature Ti Detected temperature

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification number Internal reference number FI Technical indication location 8804-2C B41J 29/00 U (72) Inventor Katsuya Endo Katsuya Endo 570 Ohito, Ohito-cho, Shizuoka Prefecture Tokyo Electric Corporation Ohi Plant

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A printer having a carrier motor for reciprocating a carrier and a reciprocating mechanism for printing while moving a print head mounted on the carrier in a paper width direction, and an ambient temperature detecting means for detecting an ambient temperature. A loose machine that differs from normal mechanical processing data and includes at least the data required to move the carrier in the carrier motor so that the torque generated by the carrier motor is larger than the torque during normal printing operation and the effective printing range is moved one or more reciprocations. When the detected temperature is less than or equal to the set temperature by comparing the temperature detected by the ambient temperature detecting means with the temperature set by the ambient temperature detecting means when the power is turned on. It is stored in the loosening operation data storage means on the condition that it is determined that the operation is necessary and that the loosening operation is necessary. Printer, wherein the slow machine operation execution control means for operating slow machine based on the machine operation data, that was provided.