JPH0761017A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a line with missing printing from developing and realize favorable printing quality by a method wherein, among a plurality of heating elements, the heat generation of the heating elements on the boundaries of a plurality of split domains is controlled under the state being overlapped with the respective split domains. CONSTITUTION:The font pattern corresponding to a select character is read out of a font ROM by selecting an arbitrary character annexed on a data drum 11 with a row selector 13 and column selectors 15a-15j. On line data are printed at a time through a thermal head driver and a serial thermal head on label tape 21. Further, at bisected printing or printing under the condition that one line data are bisected horizontally, upper half 1-4 dot data is printed at first timing, while 4-8 dot data including 4 dot data along the horizontal boundary at second timing, resulting in developing no portion, in which no printing is carried out simultaneously between dot data adjacent to each other in one line data.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a printer using a serial thermal head has been widely used as a printer mounted on a character input printing device such as a personal word processor or a label printer.

This serial thermal head has a plurality of dot heating elements (for example, 8 dots) arranged in one line, and a font pattern (for example, 8 dots vertically × 8 pixels horizontally) provided with these dot heating elements as print characters.
Thermal transfer printing of the font pattern via the ink ribbon can be performed by driving the heat generation corresponding to each 1-line data of dots) and moving the print medium relative to the dot interval.

A printer using such a serial thermal head consumes a large amount of power for energizing each dot heating element to generate heat, so there is no problem in the case of a personal word processor operating with a commercial power source. In a simple printing device such as a label printer that operates using a dry battery, the electric capacity is relatively small, and the drivable time of the thermal head related to printing is limited to a very short time.

In particular, when there are many font patterns, such as a paint pattern, in which the dot heating elements of the thermal head must always be driven to generate heat, such as a paint pattern, the energization of each dot heating element is performed. There is a problem in that the applied voltage is drastically reduced and the battery power is significantly consumed.

Therefore, for example, each one-line data of a font pattern to be a character to be printed is divided into upper and lower parts, and the thermal head is driven at two timings so that a large applied voltage is not applied at one time. The division printing method is considered.

That is, in this divisional printing method, for example, when the font pattern to be printed is a paint pattern, the upper half of all dot heating elements (for example, 1 to 4 dots) in the thermal head are energized to generate heat at the first timing. Two
At the timing of the second time, the lower half all-dot heating element (for example, 5
(~ 8 dots) is energized to generate heat, thereby preventing a sudden drop in energization applied voltage and extending the life of the battery power source.

[0008]

However, in the conventional printing apparatus using the division printing method as described above, for example, in the case where the font pattern to be printed is the above-mentioned filled pattern extending over the upper and lower division ranges, At the timing of the second time, all the dot heating elements of 1 to 4 dots in the upper half are driven to generate heat at the same time, and at the timing of the second time, the dots of 5 to 5 in the lower half are driven.
Even when all the eight-dot dot heating elements are driven to generate heat at the same time, the fourth dot heating element and the fifth dot heating element existing at the boundary portion of the divided range are not driven to generate heat at the same time, and the positions on both sides adjacent to each other are not driven. Since only one of the dot heating elements is driven to generate heat, the fourth dot heating element and the fifth dot heating element
Compared to the case where the dot heating elements on both sides adjacent to each other also generate heat at the same time as the heating elements other than the dot heating element, the amount of heat generation is insufficient, and the amount of light is printed accordingly. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 7, for example, a line with a print defect is formed at a position corresponding to the boundary position of the upper and lower division ranges, and there is a problem that good print quality cannot be obtained.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state of formation of a print omission line when a fill pattern is printed by a conventional split printing type printing apparatus. The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a printing apparatus capable of obtaining good print quality without forming a print omission line at a position corresponding to a boundary position of each divided range. With the goal.

[0010]

That is, a printer according to the present invention divides a plurality of printing heating elements arranged in a line into a plurality of divided ranges for printing. The heating element located at the boundary of the plurality of divided ranges of the body is provided with control means for controlling heat generation in duplicate in each of the plurality of divided ranges.

[0011]

According to the present invention, the print dots at the boundary of the plurality of ranges among the plurality of print heads arranged in a line are overlapped and controlled in each of the plurality of ranges. No print omission occurs at the position corresponding to the boundary of the upper and lower divided ranges.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an external configuration of a label printer equipped with the printing apparatus of the present invention.

A cylindrical data drum 11 is mounted on the label printer body 10. This data drum 1
1 prints 320 characters / symbols such as Japanese syllabary, alphanumeric characters, English symbols and pictograms on the surface of the drum in a matrix of 32 rows in the cylinder rotation direction and 10 columns in the cylinder axis direction. This data drum 1
The fixed line on line 1 (line 13 in this case) is displayed through the drum window 12.

The data drum 11 is the printer body 1.
The row selection knobs 13 projecting on both sides of 0 are rotated together so that any data row on the data drum 11 is selected corresponding to the data selection window 14 located at the lower end of the drum window 12. Is displayed.

On the front face of the printer body 10, ten column selection keys 15a to 1 are arranged along the data selection window 14.
5j is provided, and one character in one data row selectively displayed in the data selection window 14 is selected and designated by the selection operation of the column selection keys 15a to 15j.

Further, on the front surface of the printer body 10,
A power switch 16 that is operated when the power is turned on and off, and a battery indicator 1 that warns when the battery level is low
7. The row selection knob 13 and the column selection keys 15a to 15
"Teisei" key 18 which is operated when correcting one character selected according to the operation of j, typeface changeover switch 19 for designating switching between Mincho typeface printing, Gothic typeface writing and brush typeface printing, printing immediately before "Reintroduction" key 20 operated when repeatedly printing up to 32 characters of data stored in the built-in print RAM, "end" key 22 operated when ending the printing process Is provided.

Further, inside the printer body 10, a tape cassette of a label tape 21 serving as a print medium is mounted in a tape cassette storage portion (not shown), and the printed label tape 21 is printed by a printer through a tape cutting mechanism (not shown). The tape is discharged from the tape discharge port on the side surface of the main body 10.

Here, a serial thermal head having a heating element of a plurality of, for example, 8 dots arranged in a line is used for the printing mechanism built in the printer body 10, and the divided printing method is divided into upper and lower parts. Driven by.

That is, for example, the typeface changeover switch 19
After designating "Mincho," the row selection knob 13 is rotated to display the first row "Ako" of the data drum 11 in the data selection window 14, and the column selection key 15a is operated. When the character "a" is specified by the character "a", the font pattern "a" stored corresponding to the 1st row and 1st column of the (Mincho type) area of the built-in font ROM is read, and the label tape 21 is read by the built-in printing mechanism. Is printed on.

That is, every time the column selection keys 15a to 15j are selected and operated, one character on the drum 11 displayed in the data selection window 14 is designated corresponding to the column selection key, and the typeface is designated. Label tape according to
Is printed out on.

When the "characteristic" key 18 is operated when the wrong character is selected and printing is performed by the matrix selecting operation using the row selecting knob 13 and the column selecting keys 15a to 15j, the error is made. The label tape 21 up to the portion where the character is printed is cut and separated by the tape cutting mechanism, and the printed data stored in the built-in print RAM is erased as the error data only, and a new head is newly added. Is printed on the label tape 21.

In this case, it is only necessary to successively select and specify a correct character in place of the erroneously selected character. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the electronic circuit of the label printer.

In this label printer, the CPU 31 controls the operation of each part of the circuit.
1, a roll switch unit 32 mounted on the data drum 11, a key input unit 33, a mode switch unit 34,
The font ROM 35, the power supply unit 36, the reset signal generation circuit 37, the vibrator (cera lock) 38, the battery indicator 17 are connected, the pulse motor 40 is connected via the pulse motor driver 39, and the thermal head driver 41 is connected. A serial thermal head 42 having a heating element of 8 dots, for example, is connected via this.

The roll switch section 32 is provided with a data selection window 14 by a row selection knob 13 of the printer body 10.
The roll switch unit 3 detects one data row out of 32 rows on the data drum 11 selected corresponding to
The roll switch signal 43 from 2 is supplied to the CPU 31.

The key input section 33 is used to select the column selection keys 15a to 15d, "TEISEI" in the printer body 10.
It comprises a key 18, a "remember me" key 20, and an "end" key 22. A key-out signal 44 from this key input section 33 is supplied to the CPU 31, and
The key-in signal 45 from the CPU 31 is supplied to the key input unit 33.

The mode switch section 34 comprises the power switch 16 and the typeface changeover switch 19 in the printer body 10. The mode switch signal 46 from the mode switch section 34 is supplied to the CPU 11.

The font ROM 35 stores the font patterns of 320 characters, symbols, etc. described on the data drum 11 corresponding to the respective fonts of Mincho typeface, Gothic typeface, and cursive typeface. The read control signal 47 for the font ROM 35 is supplied from the CPU 11,
The read address is transferred via the address bus 48, and the read font pattern is transferred via the data bus 49.

A power control signal 50 is supplied from the CPU 11 to the power supply section 36, and the power switch 16 is supplied.
A predetermined power supply voltage is supplied to each part of the circuit according to the ON operation of the CPU 3 and the reset signal generating circuit 37 causes the CPU 3 to operate.
A reset signal 51 for initial setting is supplied to 1.

Further, the pulse motor control signal 52 from the CPU 31 is supplied to the pulse motor driver 39, and the pulse motor 40 is rotated every time one dot line of the font pattern to be printed is printed, and the platen 53 is rotationally driven.

Further, the thermal head control signal 54 from the CPU 31 is supplied to the thermal head driver 41, and the serial thermal head 42 is driven to generate heat by, for example, a divided printing method of upper and lower halves.

In this case, the serial thermal head 4
When printing each 1-dot line of the print font pattern, the first to fourth dot heating elements are driven at the first timing in correspondence with the dot data of the upper half (1 to 4 dots) of the 1-line data. The 4th to 8th dot heating elements are the second time corresponding to the lower half (4 to 8 dots) dot data including the 4th dot data along the upper and lower division boundary positions among the above upper half dot data. It is driven at the timing of.

That is, the 1-line data of the font pattern to be printed has 1 to 4 dot data printed at the first printing timing, and 4 dots data at the second printing timing.
.About.8 dot data is printed, and only the data of the 4th dot along the upper and lower division boundary positions are overlapped and printed at the first and second print timings.

As a result, when one line data is printed, there is no possibility that adjacent dot data will not be printed at the same time. On the other hand, the CPU 31
The print RAM 55 is connected.

The print RAM 55 is read from the font ROM 35 and printed according to the roll switch signal 43 from the roll switch unit 32 and the key-out signal 44 from the key input unit 33 corresponding to the column selection keys 15a to 15j. The font pattern is sequentially stored for up to 32 characters. The printed font pattern stored in the print RAM 55 is read out and reprinted in accordance with the operation of the "again once more" key 20. In addition, only the final font pattern is erased, read and reprinted in response to the operation of the "teisei" key 18.

All the font patterns in the print RAM 55 are erased (cleared) in response to the operation of the "end" key 22. The write / read control signal 56 for the print RAM 55 is supplied from the CPU 11, the write / read address is transferred via the address bus 57, and the write / read data is transferred via the data bus 58. .

On the other hand, a tape cutting mechanism 59 is provided at the position where the label tape 21 is discharged from the platen 53.
The printed label tape 21 is cut and separated in response to the operation of the "end" key 18 or the "end" key 22.

Next, the operation of the label printer having the above configuration will be described. That is, when the user wants to print by inputting "Case", first, the row selection knob 13 of the printer body 10 is operated to rotate the data drum 11, and the first row "Au ... When the "" is selected and displayed and the column selection key "5" 15f is operated to specify the "ka" in the sixth column, the roll switch unit 3
Roll switch signal 4 as the first row detection signal from 2
3 is read by the CPU 31, and this roll switch signal 4
3 and the font ROM corresponding to the key-out signal 44 corresponding to the column selection key "5" 15f from the key input unit 33.
The font pattern "?" In the numeral 35 is selectively read out, and is thermally transferred and printed on the label tape 21 line by line via the serial thermal head 42.

At this time, the label tape 21 is conveyed at 1-dot intervals in synchronization with the printing process of the 1-line data by the platen 53 driven by the rotation of the pulse motor 40.

The printed character string data (character font string) stored in the print RAM 55 is stored in the CPU 31.
The character font "ka" printed immediately before is added to the end of the character string data, and the print RAM 5 is read again.
5 is stored as the printed character string data up to the present.

In this case, since the immediately preceding print character font "?" Is the initial print data, the character font "?" Is stored at the head in the print RAM 55. Then, the row selection knob 13 is operated to rotate the data drum 11, and the second row “Sashissu ...
"And" are selected and displayed, and the column selection key "1" 15b
When "" is specified in the second column by operating, the roll switch signal 43 as the second row detection signal from the roll switch unit 32 is read out to the CPU 31, and the roll switch signal 43 and the key input unit 33 are read. In response to the key-out signal 44 corresponding to the column selection key "1" 15b from
The font pattern "shi" in the font ROM 35 is selectively read out, and is thermally transferred and printed on the label tape 21 line by line via the serial thermal head 42.

Here, the printed character string data (character font "ka") stored in the print RAM 55 is stored in the CPU.
31. The character font "shi" printed immediately before is read at the end of the character string data, and the print RA is executed again.
It is stored in M55 as the printed character string data up to the present.

In this case, the print RAM 55 is in a state in which the character fonts "ka" and "shi" are sequentially stored. Thereafter, in the same manner as described above, although the character character "e" on the data drum 11 should be selected and printed in a matrix,
If "u" is selected by mistake, the roll switch 32
Roll switch signal 43 from the key input unit 3
In response to the key-out signal 44 from the data drum 3, the data drum 1
The character font "U" corresponding to the 1st row and 3rd column above 1 is selectively read from the font ROM 35, and the label tape 2 is printed line by line via the serial thermal head 42.
1 is heat transfer printed.

Here, the printed character string data (character font string “ka” “shi”) stored in the print RAM 55.
Is read by the CPU 31, the character font "U" printed immediately before due to the incorrect character selection is added to the end of the character string data, and is stored again in the print RAM 55 as the printed character string data up to the present.

In this case, the print RAM 55 is in a state in which the character fonts "ka", "shi" and "u" are sequentially stored. Here, if the "teisei" key 18 is operated in order to correct the wrongly printed "scarecrow" as a correct "scarecrow" and reprint it, the pulse motor driver 3
9, the platen 53 is rotationally driven via the pulse motor 40 and the pulse motor 40,
The printed portion is conveyed by a constant width until it reaches the outside of the tape cutting mechanism 59, and is cut and separated by the tape cutting mechanism 59.

Then, only the final character font "U" of the printed character font string "KA""SH""U" stored in the print RAM 55 is erased as an error font.

Then, after the erroneous font "U" is erased, the character font string "ka" or "shi" stored in the print RAM 55 is sequentially read from the head to the CPU 31, and the label tape 2 is transferred via the serial thermal head 42.
One line of data is continuously printed for each one.

In this case, it is not necessary to select and specify the desired print character string "kashie" from the beginning again, and only by operating the "teisei" key 18, the correctly input character font string "ka" Label tape 21 is new to "Shi"
Is printed on.

Therefore, after that, the correct character character "e" in place of the character character "u" that is erroneously selected and printed is replaced with the correct row character selection knob 13 and the column selection key 15a.
Labels in which the font pattern "e" in the font ROM 35 is selectively read according to the normal printing process by designating by the matrix selection operation by .about.15j, and the correct character font string "ka" or "shi" is printed. Printing is continued on the tape 21.

In this case also, the print RAM 5 is processed in the same manner as above.
The printed character string data (character font string “or” “shi”) stored in 5 is read out to the CPU 31, the character font “e” printed immediately before is added to the end of the character string data, and again. It is stored in the print RAM 55 as printed character string data up to the present.

In this case, the print RAM 55 is in a state in which the character font string "ka""shi""e" is stored. In this way, when the "end" key 22 is operated while the desired print character string "kashie" is printed on the label tape 21, the character font string "ka""shi""stored in the print RAM 55 is stored. Eh ”is erased.

Then, the platen 53 is rotationally driven via the pulse motor driver 39 and the pulse motor 40,
The label tape 21 on which "Cast" is printed is conveyed by a certain width until the printed portion reaches the outside of the tape cutting mechanism 59, and is cut and separated by the tape cutting mechanism 59.

Next, the one-line printing operation associated with each character selection printing process of the label printer will be described. FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the one-line divided printing process in the label printer.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the 1-line data generation process in the latter half of the division accompanying the 1-line division printing process of the label printer. FIG. 5 is a timing chart showing the head energization timing and the data latch timing accompanying the 1-line divided printing process of the label printer.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the first half drive dot range and the second half drive dot range in the serial thermal head 42 of the label printer. That is, for example, when the paint character in the 13th row and the 7th column on the data drum 11 is selected in response to the matrix selection operation using the row selection knob 13 and the column selection key 15g, the 13th row from the roll switch section 32 is selected. The roll switch signal 43 as a detection signal is read out to the CPU 31, and the font ROM 35 corresponds to the roll switch signal 43 and the key-out signal 44 corresponding to the column selection key "6" 15g from the key input unit 33.
The filled font pattern at is selectively read.

Then, first, 1/8 line data (8 dots) is created by the CPU 31 to print at the first (first half) print timing. In this case, each 1 line data of the filled font pattern is Since all of them are black dot data, 1 corresponding to the first half division range
Corresponding to the data of the dots 4 to 4, the 1st to 4th dot heating elements are all "ON", and the 5th to 8th dot heating elements are all "OFF". (Step S1).

Then, the latch pulse a is generated at the latch timing L1, the first half line data is latched by the thermal head driver 41, and then the strobe signal STB is generated at the first energization timing P1. The first to fourth dot heating elements of the serial thermal head 42 are energized and driven corresponding to the first half 1-line data latched by the thermal head driver 41 (steps S2 and S3).

That is, at the first (first half) print timing, only the first to fourth dot data are printed out of the 1-line data in which all 8 dots are black dot data, and then the second ( 1/8 line data (8 dots) is CP to print at the printing timing of the latter half)
It is created by U31 (step S4).

That is, first, the first to the fourth dots corresponding to the first to the fourth dot data printed at the first printing timing are printed.
Among the fourth dot heating elements, data for turning off all of the first to third dot heating elements is created, and the above 1
It is judged whether or not the fourth dot data printed at the print timing of the second time and along the boundary position of the upper and lower divided ranges is "ON" (steps A1 and A2).

In this case, since the fourth dot data printed at the first printing timing is "ON", data for turning the fourth dot heating element "ON" is subsequently created (step A2). → A3a).

On the other hand, for example, when the fourth dot data printed at the first print timing is "OFF", data for turning the fourth dot heating element "OFF" is subsequently created ( Steps A2 → A3b).

Then, from the fifth dot of the latter half divided range to
Data for turning all the fifth to eighth dot heating elements "ON" is created corresponding to the data of the eighth dot (step A4).

That is, in this one-line data creation process in the latter half of the division, among the first to fourth dot data corresponding to the first half divided range, the fourth dot data along the boundary position of the upper and lower divided ranges are duplicated. It is also incorporated in the second half split range,
Eventually, the latter half 1-line data for driving the 4th to 8th dot heating elements is created corresponding to the data of the 4th to 8th dots of the 1-line data to be printed.

Then, the latch pulse b is generated at the latch timing L2, and the latter half 1-line data is latched by the thermal head driver 41. Thereafter, the strobe signal STB is generated at the second energization timing P2. In the serial thermal head 42, the fifth to eighth dot heating elements are energized and driven corresponding to the latter half line data latched by the thermal head driver 41 (steps S5 and S6).

Thereafter, the same one-line divided printing process corresponding to the second and third lines of the font pattern to be printed is repeated (steps S1 to S7). That is, when the print font pattern is a paint pattern and the dot data in each 1-line data is all black dot data, the first half 1-line data is black data for the first to fourth dot data, and the second half 1 line. As for the data, the 4th to 8th dot data are created as black data, so that even if the above-mentioned divided print processing is attempted, the adjacent dot data in the 1-line data to be printed is always printed at the same time. Since the timing is provided, print omission does not occur corresponding to the boundary between the upper and lower divided ranges, for example.

Therefore, according to the label printer having the above-described structure, the row selection knob 13 and the column selection keys 15a to 15j can be used to select an arbitrary character additionally marked on the data drum 11.
To read the font pattern corresponding to the selected character from the font ROM 35 and print it on the label tape 21 one line data at a time via the thermal head driver 41 and the serial thermal head 42. Dot) is printed in two parts, upper and lower.
At the timing of the second time, the upper half 1 to 4 dot data is set to 2
At the timing of the fourth time, 4 to 8 dot data including the above 4 dot data along the upper and lower boundaries are printed, and it is assumed that there is no part where adjacent dot data in 1 line data are not printed simultaneously. Therefore, even if the print font pattern is, for example, a paint pattern that extends between the upper and lower divided ranges, the timing at which the dot heating elements that are the boundaries of the divided range are driven to heat at the same time is given It is possible to obtain good print quality without causing print omission corresponding to the boundary position of.

In this embodiment, the input characters,
The case where the present invention is applied to a so-called label printer that prints symbols and the like on a label tape is explained.
The invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to a printer that prints on plain paper or the like.

[0067]

As described above, according to the present invention, the print dots at the boundary of a plurality of ranges of the plurality of print heads arranged in a line are overlapped and controlled in each of the plurality of ranges. With this configuration, it is possible to obtain good print quality without forming a print omission line at a position corresponding to the boundary position of each divided range.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an external configuration of a label printer according to an embodiment of a printing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electronic circuit of the label printer.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a one-line divided printing process in the label printer.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a 1-line data generation process in the latter half of the division accompanying the 1-line division printing process of the label printer.

FIG. 5 is a timing chart showing head energization timing and data latch timing involved in the one-line divided printing process of the label printer.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a first half drive dot range and a second half drive dot range in the serial thermal head of the label printer.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a formation state of print missing lines when a fill pattern is printed by a conventional split printing type printing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Label printer main body, 11 ... Data drum, 12
... Drum window, 13 ... Row selection knob, 14 ... Data selection window, 15a to 15j ... Column selection key, 16 ... Power switch, 17 ... Battery indicator, 18 ... "Taisei" key, 19 ... Type change switch, 20 ... "Moichido Insatsu" key, 21 ... Label tape, 22 ... "End" key, 31 ... CPU, 32 ... Roll switch section, 33 ... Key input section, 34 ... Mode switch section, 35 ... Font R
OM, 36 ... Power supply section, 37 ... Reset signal generation circuit, 3
8 ... Oscillator (CERALOCK), 39 ... Pulse motor driver, 40 ... Pulse motor, 41 ... Thermal head driver, 42 ... Serial thermal head, 43 ... Roll switch signal, 44 ... Key-out signal, 45 ... Key-in signal, 46 ... Mode switch signal, 47 ... Read control signal, 48, 57 ... Address bus, 49, 58 ... Data bus, 50 ... Power supply control signal, 51 ... Reset signal, 52 ...
Pulse motor control signal, 53 ... Platen, 54 ... Thermal head control signal, 55 ... Print RAM, 56 ... Writing /
Read control signal, 59 ... Tape cutting mechanism.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A printing apparatus for dividing a plurality of heating elements for printing arranged in a line into a plurality of divided ranges for printing, wherein the plurality of heating elements are located at a boundary portion of the plurality of divided ranges. A printing apparatus comprising: a control unit that controls heat generation of a heating element in each of the plurality of divided ranges in an overlapping manner.