JPH1191181A - Printer controlling method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the swaying angle of a frame for achieving a high resolution by inserting a constant speed area for a certain time in a reduced speed area of a carriage. SOLUTION: From time t1, which is the main scanning starting position, a pulse motor drive controlling part 7 starts the drive of a pulse motor 11 according to the control of a controlling part 8 based on a current value table 4 and a timer value table 5 of a program memory 3, The carriage continues to move with constant acceleration from the time t1 to time t2, which is the finishing point of the accelerating area and the print starting position. Thereafter, with printing operation started form the time t2, the carriage moves with constant acceleration to time t3 which is the print finishing position. From this point, the carriage starts the speed reduction with constant deceleration from the time t3 to time t4, then it moves with constant speed from the time t4 to time t5. Furthermore, the carriage again starts the speed reduction with constant deceleration from the time t5 and stops at time t6, which is the main scanning finishing position.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a control method for scanning a print head of a printer along a surface of a print medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a general printer, a main scanning is performed by operating a carriage having a print head across a print medium. During this main scanning, the print head is driven at a predetermined timing to perform printing on a print medium. Here, the portion that performs such control is referred to as a printer control device.

In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for high-speed recording and miniaturization of such printers as well as high-resolution recording. In order to increase the speed and reduce the size, it is also important to reduce the deceleration area in which the print head moves after one main scan is completed and before the carriage stops. In the prior art, in order to reduce the deceleration area, a constant deceleration is applied to the pulse motor driving the carriage during deceleration to reduce the speed. Here, the deceleration means a negative acceleration during deceleration.

[0004]

However, the above-mentioned prior art has the following problems to be solved. In the conventional apparatus, in order to increase the printing speed and reduce the deceleration area, it is necessary to increase the deceleration applied to the pulse motor during deceleration. on the other hand,
During the deceleration, the kinetic energy of the carriage acts on the printer frame as an inertial force proportional to the deceleration acceleration. The frame swings greatly due to the inertial force. As a result, there remains a problem to be solved that the vibration of the printer becomes large, high-resolution printing cannot be performed, and furthermore, the downsizing is adversely affected.

[0005]

The present invention adopts the following constitution in order to solve the above points. <Structure 1> A pulse motor drive control unit that drives a pulse motor to move a printing mechanism for printing an image on a sheet based on a preset movement mode. In the deceleration region in the drive mode, a predetermined deceleration is continuously given to the printing mechanism for a certain period of time, then the deceleration is relaxed for a certain period of time, and then the deceleration is increased again, so that the printing mechanism is A printer control method, wherein the speed is reduced to a predetermined speed.

<Structure 2> A pulse motor drive control unit for driving a pulse motor to move a printing mechanism for printing an image on a sheet based on a preset movement mode. In the deceleration region in the movement mode, the drive control unit continuously gives the print drive unit a predetermined deceleration for a certain period of time, then performs constant speed control for a certain period of time, and then gives a predetermined deceleration again. A printer control method, wherein the printing mechanism is decelerated to a predetermined speed.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a printer control device according to the present invention. Before describing the printer control device according to the present invention, a printing mechanism driven by the printer control device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings to facilitate understanding of the present invention.

(Configuration and Operation of Printing Mechanism) FIG. 2 is an external view of the printing mechanism. The printing mechanism is a pulse motor 1
1, carriage 21, shaft 22, rubber belt 23,
A frame 24, a pulley 25, and a sheet 28 are provided. The pulse motor 11 is a portion that causes the carriage 21 to slide in a direction crossing the sheet 28 (hereinafter, this direction is referred to as a main scanning direction) via the pulley 25 and the rubber belt 23 by the rotational force.

The carriage 21 is a portion on which a print head and an ink tank are mounted and prints on a sheet 28 while sliding on a shaft 22. The shaft 22 has both ends fixed to a frame 24. The direction in which the carriage 21 moves along this direction is the main scanning direction for printing.

Each of the rubber belts 23 has a frame 24
And the pulse motor 11 are tensioned with an appropriate tension. The pulse motor 11 causes the carriage 21 to be slid by the rotational force via the rubber belt 23. The frame 24 is a pulse motor 1
1. Both ends of the shaft 22 and a portion that fixes the pulley 25 and supports the entire printing mechanism on the printer body.

Two pulleys 25 are provided, one of which is on the shaft of the pulse motor 11 and the other is on the frame 2.
4 to support the rotational movement of the rubber belt 23. The paper 28 is a medium to be printed by a print head provided on the carriage 21.

Next, the operation of the printing mechanism will be described. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view at the start of the printing operation. When the printing mechanism (FIG. 2) starts a printing operation, the pulse motor 11 (FIG. 2) starts rotating. By the rotation force, the carriage 21 moves to a main scanning start position 33 in which the acceleration area 30 is added to the end 29 of the character of the print line. When this position is reached, the pulse motor 11 (FIG. 2) rotates in the reverse direction, and the carriage 21 moves in the printing direction. It accelerates at a constant acceleration during the acceleration region 30. When the print start position 29, which is the end of the character of the print line, is reached, the acceleration is stopped, and printing is continued on the paper 28 at a constant speed until the end of printing.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view at the end of the printing operation.
The carriage 21 is positioned at the end of the character on the print line, the print end position 3
When the number reaches 2, the deceleration starts at a constant deceleration acceleration and stops at the main scanning end position 34. This is the deceleration region 31. Thereafter, the pulse motor 11 (FIG. 2) rotates in the reverse direction and returns to FIG. The printing operation is executed by repeating the above operation. Next, problems during the above operation will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the deceleration in the deceleration area. The vertical axis represents the carriage speed, and the horizontal axis represents time. In the drawing, it is assumed that the line graph (1) is a normal printer operation. Now, it is assumed that the printing speed of the printer is increased and the printer is reduced in size. In the figure, it is necessary to increase the carriage speed and reduce the deceleration area A to the deceleration area B. Therefore, the deceleration is increased.
The line graph (2) shows this state.

As a result, the kinetic energy of the carriage at that time becomes an inertia force proportional to the deceleration and acts on the frame 24 of the printer. The frame 24 swings greatly due to the inertial force. FIG. 6 is an imaginary diagram (part 1) showing the operation of a frame. FIG. 4 is an imaginary view showing a state in which a frame swings when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction of the printer.

(1) shows the position of the frame when stationary and at the same speed, and (2) shows the angle β1 at which the frame has fallen during the normal printer deceleration area A (FIG. 5). FIG. Further, (3) increases the carriage speed and changes the deceleration area A (FIG. 5) to the deceleration area B.
FIG. 6 is an imaginary view showing an angle β2 at which the frame has fallen when reduced to (FIG. 5). Increasing the deceleration in this way increases the angle at which the frame falls from β1 to β2. As a result, the vibration of the printer increases, and high-resolution recording cannot be performed. Further, there remains a problem to be solved, which is an adverse effect of miniaturization.

<Structure of Specific Example> Returning to FIG. 1, a specific example of the printer control device according to the present invention will be described. The printer control device according to the specific example includes an external interface 1, a data memory 2, a program memory 3, a print head control unit 6, a pulse motor drive control unit 7, and a control unit 8. The external interface 1 is a part for inputting a data signal from an external communication line.

The data memory 2 receives the data signal input from the external communication line, temporarily stores the data signal, and then stores the data signal in the control unit 8.
Is a part to be transferred to the print head control unit 6 in accordance with the above control. The program memory 3 is a part for storing therein a control table for controlling the operation of the entire printer, such as a current value table 4 and a timer value table 5. In the present invention, the current value table 4 and the timer value table 5
The table stores special operation data of the pulse motor 11 described later.

The print head control section 6 is a section which receives image data from the data memory 2 and prints it on the paper 28 (FIG. 2) via the print head 10 under the control of the control section 8. The pulse motor drive controller 7 controls the current value table 4 in the program memory 3 according to the control of the controller 8.
And a section for rotating the pulse motor 11 based on the timer value table 5 to move the carriage 21 (FIG. 2).

<Operation of Specific Example> FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a change in the carriage speed during one scan. The vertical axis represents the carriage speed and the horizontal axis represents time. Time t1 is the start of one scan, and if indicated by the position, it is the main scanning start position 33 (FIG. 3) described above. From this time t1, the pulse motor drive control unit 7 starts driving the pulse motor 11 under the control of the control unit 8 based on the current value table 4 and the timer value table 5 of the program memory 3.

The carriage continues to move at a constant acceleration from time t1 to time t2. At time t2, the acceleration region 30
This is the end point of FIG. 3 and the print start position 29. Printing starts at time t2 and moves at a constant speed to t3. Time t3 is the print end position 32 (FIG. 4), at which point the carriage starts to decelerate at a constant deceleration. Time t
From 3 to time t4, it moves at a constant deceleration acceleration.
It moves at a constant speed from time t4 to time t5.
From time t5, the carriage starts decelerating again at the constant deceleration, and stops at time t6. This time t6 is the main scanning end position 34 (FIG. 4).

The operation during one scan according to the specific example has been described above. Next, the features of this operation will be described. FIG. 8 is a comparison diagram of the deceleration control. The vertical axis represents the carriage speed and the horizontal axis represents time. (A) represents the conventional control, and (b) represents the control of the present invention. In (a), the carriage moves at a constant deceleration α1 from time t3 to time t6. In (b), from time t3 to time t4, the robot moves at a constant deceleration acceleration α1, but from time t4 to time t5, it moves at a constant speed (acceleration = 0), and moves at time t
From 5 to time t6, it moves again at the constant deceleration α2. The effect of this deceleration control on the operation of the frame 24 will be described.

FIG. 9 is an imaginary diagram (part 2) showing a frame operation. FIG. 4 is an imaginary view showing a state in which a frame swings when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction of the printer.
(A) is a conventional frame operation, and (b) is a frame operation of the present invention. The angle θ at which the frame has fallen at each time from t3 to t6 is shown. In both (a) and (b), from time t3 to time t4, the carriage moves at the constant deceleration acceleration α1 (FIG. 8), and therefore the angle θ1 at which the frame has fallen at time t4 is equal to (a) and (b). .

From time t4 to time t5, the carriage (b) moves at a constant speed (acceleration = 0) (FIG. 8).
The frame returns by angle θ3. From time t5 to time t6
Until then, it again moves at the constant deceleration α2 (FIG. 8). Therefore, the frame falls again by the angle θ4. On the other hand, during this period (a), the carriage moves at a constant deceleration α1 from time t4 to time t6 (FIG. 8), so that the frame continues to fall as it is and falls to the angle θ2.

As a result, in the deceleration region from the time t3 to the time t6, the carriage is moved at a constant speed (acceleration = 0) for a fixed time as shown in FIG. It can be understood that by inserting a moving section (from time t4 to time t5 in FIG. 8), the angle at which the frame swings (the angle at which the frame in FIG. 9 falls) can be reduced. Note that the section from time t4 to time t5 in FIG. 8 does not necessarily need to be at a constant speed (acceleration = 0), and may be any value smaller than the constant deceleration acceleration α1 in the section from time t3 to time t4. . FIG. 9 (a)
In (b), the frame swings and the magnitude of the angle difference is caused by various factors.

For example, in FIG. 8, t3, t4, t5, t
6, the time difference between the values, the values of α1, α2, the elastic constants when the frame 24 (FIG. 2) is tilted in the main scanning direction, and the instants at the speed change points, A, B, C, and D points. Acceleration, and the like. The present inventors repeated various experiments using a commercially available printer, and as a result, t3, t4, t3
The time difference between 5, 5 and t6, and the values of α1, α2 are a major factor.
5) = 2 (t5−t4) = t4−t3, and 2α1 = α
It has been confirmed that a large angle difference can be obtained at 2. In the specific example, the deceleration area is described only at the end of one scanning section. However, depending on the print mode, the deceleration area may be inserted in the middle of one scanning section. In that case, similar control can be performed.

[0027]

As described above, the following effects can be obtained by inserting a constant speed region (acceleration = 0) for a fixed time in the middle of the deceleration region of the carriage. 1. Since the swing angle of the frame can be reduced, the speed and resolution of the printer can be increased. 2. Further, the size of the printer can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a printer control device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external view of a printing mechanism.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view at the start of a printing operation.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view at the end of a printing operation.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating deceleration in a deceleration region.

FIG. 6 is an imaginary diagram (part 1) showing an operation of a frame.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a change in carriage speed during one scan.

FIG. 8 is a comparison diagram of deceleration control.

FIG. 9 is an imaginary diagram (part 2) showing the operation of a frame.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 External interface 2 Data memory 3 Program memory 4 Current value table 5 Timer value table 6 Print head control part 7 Pulse motor control part 8 Control part 9 Printing mechanism part 10 Print head 11 Pulse motor

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A pulse motor drive control unit for driving a pulse motor to move a printing mechanism for printing an image on a sheet based on a preset movement mode, comprising: In the deceleration region in the drive mode, the printing mechanism unit continuously applies a predetermined deceleration to the printing mechanism for a certain period of time, then relaxes the deceleration for a certain period of time, and then increases the deceleration again. A printer control method comprising: reducing a speed of a printer to a predetermined speed. 2. A pulse motor drive control unit for driving a pulse motor to move a printing mechanism for printing an image on a sheet based on a preset movement mode, comprising: The unit continuously applies a predetermined deceleration to the print driving unit for a certain period of time in the deceleration area in the movement mode, performs constant speed control for a certain period of time, and then applies the predetermined deceleration again again to perform printing. A method for controlling a printer, comprising: reducing a mechanism to a predetermined speed.