JPH0769488A - Printer unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a printer unit that secures the normal operation of a paper sensor as well as to promote the stability of a unit as a whole. CONSTITUTION:This printer unit is provided with two paper feeding mechanisms 6 and 8 equipped with a paper guide and a feed roller, a carriage 4 mounted with a printing head 1 and installed free of reciprocating movement in a direction orthogonal with the feeding direction of paper P, and a paper sensor 9 being installed on a paper conveying route of the paper guide and detecting the presence of the paper P while outputting the print starting position specifying position data, respectively. In addition, a sensor cleaning mechanism 10 equipped with a sensor cleaning part 10A, which reciprocates on a sensor surface of the paper P and wiping clean this sensor surface, is installed in and around a point of origin of the print starting position of the carriage 4, and this sensor cleaning mechanism 10 operates after being energized by dint of traveling force of the carriage 4 in time of reciprocating movement to the vicinity of the origin of the carriage 4.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer device,
In particular, the present invention relates to a printer device provided with a cleaning unit that removes paper dust adhering to the sensor surface of a paper sensor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a printer is equipped with a paper sensor for detecting the presence / absence of paper at a predetermined position on a paper transport path of a paper guide, and the tip of the paper sucked and supplied from the outside along the paper guide is detected. When it reaches a predetermined position of the paper guide, the paper sensor detects the paper, and at the same time, a control unit (not shown) operates to drive the feed roller at the timing of signal output from the paper sensor. The feed roller conveys the paper along the paper guide to the print position of the print head.

As the paper sensor for detecting the presence or absence of the paper and setting the timing of starting the drive of the feed roller, a light reflection type or a light transmission type sensor has been widely used. Among these, the light reflection type sensor is configured by mounting a pair of light emitting element and light receiving element on the same sensor surface, and is arranged at a predetermined position of the paper guide in a state of facing the conveyed paper. Then, the presence or absence of the sheet is detected by receiving the light from the light emitting element reflected by the sheet by the light receiving element.

Further, in the light transmission type sensor, a pair of a light emitting element and a light receiving element are arranged in a state where the sensor surfaces of the respective elements are opposed to the paper guide portion with the paper sandwiched therebetween. Then, when the light from the light emitting element is blocked by the paper and cannot be received by the light receiving element, a paper detection signal is output indicating that the paper is present.

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, the paper dust generated by the conveyance or printing operation of the paper gradually adheres to the sensor surface of the paper sensor,
There has been a situation where the reflection or transmission of light is blocked. When such a situation occurs, the paper sensor cannot receive the reflected light or the transmitted light, and therefore the paper-free condition is erroneously detected as the paper-free condition. There is an inconvenience that it is driven and the printing operation is started.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a printer apparatus which improves the disadvantages of the conventional example, and in particular ensures the normal operation of the paper sensor and stabilizes the operation of the entire apparatus.

[0007]

In the present invention, first, a paper feed mechanism having a paper guide and a feed roller,
A carriage equipped with a print head and capable of reciprocating in a direction orthogonal to the paper feed direction, and position data for detecting the presence / absence of a paper provided on the paper conveyance path of the paper guide and for specifying a print start position. In a printer device having a paper sensor for outputting a sensor, a sensor cleaning mechanism including a sensor cleaning unit that reciprocates on the sensor surface of the paper sensor and wipes the sensor surface is provided near the origin of the print start position of the carriage. To do.

Then, a method is adopted in which the sensor cleaning mechanism is configured to be actuated by the traveling force of the carriage when the carriage reciprocates near the origin. This aims to achieve the above-mentioned object.

[0009]

When the power is turned on, the carriage first moves to the left end outside the printing range along the guide shaft in order to determine the first printing position when starting printing, and then returns to the origin, which is the first printing position. Performs print positioning operation. At the position where the carriage is out of the printing range, a part of the carriage comes into contact with the other end of the sensor cleaning mechanism, the sensor cleaning mechanism is activated by the pressing force, and the sensor cleaning part provided at one end of the carriage moves to the sensor surface. Move toward and wipe away the paper dust adhering to the sensor surface. After that, the carriage returns to the first print position and stops, and the print positioning operation ends.
When the carriage starts to move in the direction of returning to the first print position, the sensor cleaning mechanism also returns to the original position, whereby the sensor cleaning unit separates from the sensor surface.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 indicates a print head. The print head 1 faces the platen 2 and is arranged so as to be reciprocally movable along the platen 2. Reference numeral 3 indicates an ink ribbon assembly for disposing the ink ribbon on the printing surface of the print head 1. The ink ribbon assembly 3 and the print head 1 are mounted on and supported by a carriage 4, and are configured to be capable of reciprocating along the platen 2 as described above.

The first paper guides 5A and 5B for feeding the paper P to the platen 2 side and the feed roller 6 are
It is provided on the upstream side of the platen 2 in the paper path. The first paper guide mechanism 5 is constituted by the first paper guides 5A and 5B and the feed roller 6A.

Further, the sheet P that has passed through the platen 2 is sent to the downstream side of the platen 2 in the sheet traveling path.
Paper guides 7A, 7B and a feed roller 8A. A second sheet feeding mechanism 8 is constituted by the second sheet guides 7A and 7B and the feed roller 8A.

Reference numeral 9 indicates a paper sensor for detecting the presence or absence of the paper P on the paper transport path. The paper sensor 9 outputs position data for specifying the print start position by the print head 1 and is arranged near the origin of the print start position. In addition, near the origin of the print start position of the carriage 4,
A sensor cleaning mechanism 1 including a sensor cleaning unit 10A that reciprocates on the sensor surface of the paper sensor 9 and wipes the sensor surface.
0 is set.

The sensor cleaning mechanism 10 is activated by the traveling force of the carriage 4 when the carriage 4 reciprocates near the origin. That is, specifically, the sensor cleaning mechanism 10 includes the sensor cleaning unit 1
0A supporting the rotating arm 10B and the rotating arm 1
A fulcrum member 10a that rotatably supports the 0B, a pressing member 10b that presses a pressed portion 10e that is provided on the carriage 4 and that is provided at the other end of the rotating arm 10B,
It is composed of an original position return spring 10s mounted on the rotating arm 10B.

The sensor cleaning unit 10A is equipped with a brush for wiping the upper surface of the paper sensor 1 described above. The pressing member 10b has the above-described rotating arm 10B at the position where the carriage 4 is out of the printing range during the printing positioning operation.
1 is contacted with the pressed portion 10e of the
Is pressed toward the left end of. By moving the carriage 4 toward the left end in FIG. 1, the sensor cleaning unit 10A rotates around the fulcrum member 10a of the rotating arm 10B and moves to the sensor surface to wipe the sensor surface.

When the carriage 4 starts moving rightward in FIG. 1 toward the print start position, the original position return spring 1
The sensor cleaning unit 10A is returned from the sensor surface to the initial position by the action of 0 s. Reference numeral 13 indicates a guide shaft for the carriage.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described.

When the printer is powered on, the carriage 4 determines the first printing position in the left-right direction.
A print positioning operation is performed in which the print head moves once to the left end outside the print range along the guide shaft 13 and then returns to the first print position. At the position where the carriage 4 is out of the printing range, the pressing member 10b of the sensor cleaning mechanism 10 mounted on the carriage 4 contacts the pressed portion 10e of the rotating arm 10B, and the pressed portion of the rotating arm 10B. 10e Push in the direction of arrow A in FIG. Therefore, the rotating arm 10B
The sensor cleaning unit 10A provided at one end of the sensor moves on the sensor surface, and the brush wipes the sensor surface, whereby the paper dust adhering to the sensor surface is removed.

After that, the carriage 4 returns to the first print position and stops, and the positioning operation at the print start position ends. When the carriage 4 starts moving rightward in FIG. 1 to return to the first printing position, the rotating arm 10B is returned to its original position by the original position return spring 10s, and at the same time, the sensor cleaning unit 10A also detects the sensor surface. Get away from.

In the above embodiment, the case where the light reflection type sensor is used as the paper sensor 9 has been described, but a light transmission type sensor may be used.

[0022]

Since the present invention is constructed and functions as described above, according to this, the sensor cleaning unit wipes the sensor surface in association with the print positioning operation of the carriage performed when the power is turned on. Since the attached paper dust is wiped off, the paper dust on the sensor surface of the paper sensor can always be set to be wiped off at the start of the printing operation.
Therefore, it is possible to almost certainly prevent the malfunction of the paper sensor. Therefore, in this respect, an excellent printer device which has not been provided in the past, which can ensure the normal operation of the paper sensor and stabilize the operation of the entire device can be provided. Can be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Print Head 2 Platen 3 Ink Ribbon Assembly 4 Carriage 6,8 Paper Feed Mechanism 5A, 5B, 7A, 7B Paper Guide 6A, 8A Feed Roller 9 Paper Sensor 10 Sensor Cleaning Mechanism 10A Sensor Cleaning Section 10B Rotating Arm 10a Support Point Member 10b Pressing member 10e Pressed part 10s Original position return spring P Paper

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A paper feed mechanism having a paper guide and a feed roller, a carriage equipped with a print head and capable of reciprocating in a direction orthogonal to the paper feed direction, and a paper feed path of the paper guide. In a printer device having a paper sensor which detects the presence or absence of paper and outputs position data for specifying a print start position, in the vicinity of the origin of the print start position of the carriage, reciprocating on the sensor surface of the paper sensor. A sensor cleaning mechanism including a sensor cleaning unit that moves and wipes the sensor surface is provided, and the sensor cleaning mechanism is urged by the traveling force of the carriage when the carriage reciprocates near the origin. A printer device having an operating structure. 2. The sensor cleaning mechanism includes a rotating arm that supports the sensor cleaning unit at one end, a fulcrum member that rotatably supports the rotating arm, and the rotating arm mounted on the carriage. 2. The printer device according to claim 1, wherein the printer device comprises a pressing member for pressing the pressed portion at the other end of the arm, and an original position return spring mounted on the rotating arm.