JPH0711997Y2 - Paper transport controller for printer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial application] The present invention relates to a printer, and more particularly, to a paper transport control device for a printer that can control the paper feed and cue the paper.

[Conventional technology]

Generally, in a printer, while feeding paper intermittently,
The print head prints on this sheet.

FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C show a printer to which a conventional paper conveyance control device is applied, in which a print head 1 including a wire dot head, a thermal head, and the like is arranged opposite to a rotatable cylindrical platen 2. Has been done. In the vicinity of the platen 2 on the upstream side of the print head 1 in the transport direction of the paper 3, the paper 3 is sandwiched between the platen 2 and the print head 1 and
A large-diameter first pressure roller 4 and a small-diameter second pressure roller 5 that are conveyed toward each other are arranged to be separable from the platen 2. In addition, a bail roller 6 that guides the paper 3 along the outer periphery of the platen 2 is provided in the vicinity of the platen 2 on the downstream side of the print head 1 in the conveyance direction of the paper 3 so as to be separable from the platen 2. There is.

According to the above-described configuration, as shown in FIG. 4A, the sheet (cut sheet) 3 is inserted between the platen 2 and the first pressure roller 4 along the platen 2 from its tip,
First pressure roller 4 and second pressure roller 5
After holding the paper 3 between the platen 2 and the platen 2,
First pressure roller 4 and second pressure roller 5
Is driven to convey the paper 3 toward the print head 1, and the paper 3
The leading end of the sheet is passed between the print head 1 and the platen 2. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 4B, the sheet 3 is conveyed until the leading edge of the sheet 3 passes between the platen 2 and the bail roller 6 separated from the platen 2, and the conveyance of the sheet 3 is stopped there. The paper conveyance control for conveying the paper 3 to a predetermined position and stopping it is automatically performed. After that, as shown in FIG. 4C, the bail roller 6 is joined to the platen 2 and the leading end of the sheet 3 is pressed against the platen 2 and sandwiched between the bail roller 6 and the sheet. In this way, when the paper 3 is set to be wound around the platen 2, the first
Printing is performed on the paper 3 by the print head 1 such that the print head 1 is intermittently moved along the platen 2 while the paper 3 is intermittently conveyed by a predetermined amount using the pressure roller 4 and the second pressure roller 5. Can be applied.

By the way, unlike the above-mentioned conventional one, when the leading edge of the paper 3 is conveyed to a position facing the print head 1, the conveyance of the paper 3 is stopped at that point, and the printing is started from the leading edge of the paper 3. Paper transport control devices for such printers are also known.

[Problems to be solved by the device]

However, the above-described conventional paper transport control device for a printer automatically transports the paper 3 when the leading edge of the sheet 3 reaches the bail roller 6 or when the leading edge of the sheet 3 reaches the print head 1. Like being stopped,
Since the print start position of the paper 3 has been set to one position in advance, when the leading end of the paper 3 is conveyed to the position where it can be moved along the platen 2 by the bail roller 6 and printing is performed, the print head 1 and the bail are used. The leading end of the paper 3 existing between the roller 6 and the roller 6 is inevitably a blank area where printing cannot be performed. Therefore, it becomes impossible to print on the entire surface of the paper 3, and the paper 3 is wasted.

On the other hand, when the front end of the paper 3 is conveyed to a position facing the print head 1 and printing is performed from the front end position of the paper 3, the print head 1 is provided until the front end of the paper 3 reaches the bale roller 6. Since it is impossible for the bale roller 6 to follow the platen 2 along the platen 2 where the printing of the sheet 3 has been completed, the print quality may be deteriorated due to the flapping of the sheet 3.

By the way, in such printing, there are a case where the print quality is more important than the number of sheets of the paper 3 consumed and a case where the number of sheets of the paper 3 is more important than the print quality depending on the print content.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a paper transport control device for a printer that can select the print start position of the paper according to the purpose of the user.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a paper conveyance control device of a printer according to the present invention includes a platen for holding a paper, a print head that is disposed in the vicinity of the platen so as to be reciprocally movable along the platen, A pressure roller that joins a platen upstream of the print head in the transport direction and transports the paper; and a bale roller that joins a platen downstream of the print head in the transport direction of the paper and moves the paper along the platen. In the printer, the paper leading edge detection unit for detecting the leading edge of the paper, the leading edge position of the sheet for starting the printing from the leading edge of the sheet, and the sheet for starting the printing from the position at which the leading edge of the sheet reaches the bale roller. Setting position for selectively setting two cueing positions of the paper, which is a cueing position of the paper, and a cueing position setting signal from the setting part. In addition, a control unit that receives a paper leading edge detection signal from the paper leading edge detection unit to form a paper feeding signal, a paper feeding unit that feeds a paper by the paper feeding signal from the control unit, and a paper feeding distance is measured. A transport distance measuring unit that outputs a measurement signal is provided to the control unit.

[Action]

According to the present invention having the above-described structure, the leading edge of the sheet is detected by the leading edge detecting section, and the leading edge detection signal from the leading edge detecting section and the cueing position selection signal set by the setting section are input. The paper feeding signal is output from the control unit to the paper feeding unit such as a motor, the feeding distance measuring unit measures the feeding distance of the paper by the feeding unit, and the signal is fed back to the control unit. Since it is possible to control the cueing position, which is the printing start position, the printing can be started from a desired position on the paper according to the purpose of the user. Therefore, when printing is performed from the front end of the paper, there is no blank portion on the paper, and the waste of the paper can be eliminated, and when printing is performed from the time when the front end of the paper reaches the bale roller. Since it is possible to perform printing while the paper is reliably pressed by the bale roller from the start of printing, it is possible to obtain extremely high printing quality. Further, it is possible to set the printing to start at various positions on other sheets.

〔Example〕

 Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an outline of a printer to which a paper feed control device according to the present invention is applied. A print head 1 is arranged to face a rotatable cylindrical platen 2, and a paper 3 is fed. In the vicinity of the platen 2 on the upstream side of the print head 1 in the direction, the first pressure roller 4 that holds the sheet 3 between the platen 2 and the sheet 3 and conveys it toward the print head 1 and the second pressure roller having a slightly smaller diameter. Rollers 5 are arranged so that they can come into contact with and separate from the platen 2, respectively.
In addition, in the vicinity of the platen 2 on the downstream side of the print head 1 in the transport direction of the sheet 3, a bail roller 6 that moves the sheet 3 along the outer periphery of the platen 2 swings around a support shaft 7 at the tip of a support lever 8. Supported by. The support lever 8 can be swung between a solid line position and a chain line position in FIG. 1 by a drive mechanism such as an actuator (not shown), and the bail roller 6 can be brought into contact with and separated from the platen 2. Further, a paper guide 9 for carrying the paper 3 between the print head 1 and the first pressure roller 4 is formed on the upstream side of the first pressure roller 4 in the carrying direction of the paper 3, and the paper guide 9 is formed. Has
A sheet leading edge detection unit 10 such as a photo sensor that detects that the leading edge of the sheet 3 has passed is provided.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a control unit 12 to which a paper leading edge detection signal from the paper leading edge detecting unit 10 is input is provided. A setting unit 11 such as a keyboard for selectively setting a plurality of cue positions is connected. The setting unit 11 outputs the set cueing position as a distance from the sheet leading edge detecting unit 10 to the set cueing position.
12 is able to remember this distance. further,
The control unit 12 is configured to perform a predetermined calculation process for conveying the sheet 3 based on the sheet leading edge detection signal input from the setting unit 11.

A paper transport unit such as a motor for rotationally driving the platen 2, the first pressure roller 4, the second pressure roller 5, and other supply rollers (not shown) to transport the paper 3.
Reference numeral 13 is connected to the control unit 12 and is driven by a paper conveyance signal formed by arithmetic processing in the control unit 12. In addition, this paper transport unit 13
A transport distance measuring unit 14 for measuring the transport distance of the paper 3 from the number of rotations of the paper is connected to the paper transport unit 13, and the transport distance of the paper 3 measured by the transport distance measuring unit 14 is sent to the control unit 12. The control unit 12 is input and feedback-controlled.

Next, the operation of the present invention having the above-mentioned structure will be described with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG. In addition, here, in order to omit the description, the cueing positions of the paper 3 are only two positions, that is, the position where the leading end of the paper 3 reaches the print head 1 and the position where the leading end of the paper 3 reaches the bail roller 6.

In order to perform printing, first, the setting unit 11 is operated to set the cueing position of the paper 3 for printing. Then, in the setting unit 11, the conveyance distance of the paper 3 from the paper leading edge detection unit 10 to the position set as the cue position is the control unit.
Entered in 12 and stored. That is, in FIG. 3, when the print head 1 is set as the cueing position of the paper 3 as shown in step ST ₁ , printing is performed from the paper leading edge detection portion 10 to the setting portion 11 to the control portion 12 as shown in step ST _2. The transport distance of the sheet 3 to the head 1 is input and stored. Further, when the bail roller 6 is set as the cueing position of the paper 3 in step ST ₁ , as shown in step ST ₃ , the setting unit 11 to the control unit 12 transfer the paper 3 from the paper leading edge detection unit 10 to the bale roller 6 to each other. The transport distance is input and stored. By the way, since the distance signal from the setting unit 11 is input to the control unit 12, the control unit 12 outputs a paper transport signal to the paper transport unit 13, and as shown in step ST ₄ , the paper transport unit 13 is output. Starts driving and starts to convey the paper 3. Then, when the paper leading edge detecting unit 10 detects the leading edge of the paper 3, this detection signal is output from the paper leading edge detecting unit 10 to the control unit 12, and the control unit 12 measures the transport distance of the paper 3 by the transport distance measuring unit 14. The addition of the numerical values of the signals is started, and the distance added by this control unit 12 is calculated in advance by this control unit.
When the conveyance distance of the sheet 3 stored in 12 is reached, the control unit 12 outputs a drive stop signal to the sheet conveyance unit 13.
As a result, the conveyance of the sheet 3 is stopped, and the leading edge of the sheet 3 is
It stops at a position facing the print head 1 or a position facing the bale roller 6. Then, by pressing a start button (not shown), the print head 1
While moving along the platen 2, the print head 1 starts printing in response to a print command. When the printing of one line is completed, the control unit 12 outputs a paper carrying signal for carrying one line of the paper 3 to the paper carrying unit 13, and the paper 3 is carried by one line. In this way, the printing head 1 is moved and the paper 3 is conveyed alternately to perform printing. The bail roller 6 is joined to the platen 2 by waiting for the leading edge of the sheet 3 to pass through the bale roller 6 and swinging the support lever 8.

Thus, according to this embodiment, according to the purpose of the user,
Since printing can be started from a desired position on the sheet 3, when printing is performed from the leading edge of the sheet 3, no blank portion is created on the sheet 3, and the waste of the sheet 3 can be eliminated. When the blank portion is provided at the leading end of the sheet 3 for printing, the sheet 3 can be surely pressed by the bale roller 6 from the start of printing.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made as necessary.

[Effect of device]

As described above, according to the paper transport control device for a printer of the present invention, it is possible to start printing from a desired position on the paper, and use printing that emphasizes paper saving and printing that emphasizes print quality. There is an effect that can be.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a printer to which a sheet conveyance control device according to the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control circuit for operating the printer of FIG. 1, and FIG. FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C are flowcharts for controlling the printing position, and FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C are schematic views showing the states of the conventional paper feeding device at the time of setting the paper in the order of operation. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Print head, 2 ... Platen, 3 ... Paper, 4 ... 1st pressure roller, 5 ... 2nd pressure roller, 6 ... Bale roller, 10 ... Paper tip detection part, 11 ... Setting part, 12 ... Control part, 13 … Paper transport unit, 14… Transport distance measuring unit.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A platen for holding a sheet, a print head which is disposed in the vicinity of the platen so as to be reciprocable along the platen, and is joined to a platen upstream of the print head in the sheet conveying direction. In a printer having a pressure roller that conveys a sheet and a bale roller that joins a platen downstream of the print head in the sheet conveying direction and moves the sheet along the platen, a sheet leading edge detection that detects the leading edge of the sheet Section, and two cueing positions of the paper, that is, a cueing position of the paper for starting printing from the front end of the paper and a cueing position of the paper for starting printing from the position where the front end of the paper reaches the bail roller. Inputting the setting section to be set manually, the cueing position setting signal from this setting section and the sheet leading edge detection signal from the sheet leading edge detecting section. A control unit for forming a paper transport signal, a paper transport unit for transporting a paper according to the paper transport signal from the control unit, and a transport distance measuring unit for measuring the transport distance of the paper and outputting a measurement signal to the control unit. Paper transport control device for printers.