JPS588664A - Multisize printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable the printing of characters or the like different in the size without increase in the capacity of a memory section by selecting a desired dot generation mechanism with a size select switch in a dot matrix type printer. CONSTITUTION:A character 4 or 5 is printed in the size (a) or (b) with a movable head 2 based on character data in a memory section 3. The head 2 is equipped with a first dot generation mechanisms adapted to print the number (n) of dots 6-8 simultaneously and a second dot generation mechanism for likewise printing the number (n) of dots 9-11 which separately print characters in the size (a) or (b). Data are read out for each line in the first column 17 from a select switch 13 of a memory section and transmitted, for example, to each element in the first generation mechanism with a size select switch 12 whereby characters are printed simultaneously in the size of (a) with the number (n) of dots 6-8. Characters are printed in the size of (b) with number (n) of dots 9-11 when the second generation mechanism is used with the changeover the size select switch 12.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a dot matrix printing device,
In particular, it concerns a structure that can print an image pattern of any size.

For example, in order to print the letter A, a dot matrix printing device stores information data in a fixed array in which black or white is assigned to each element of a 5 x 7 matrix, as shown in Figure 1. When printing the character Af, the character A is printed by printing a black or white (no printing) dot at the corresponding position on the printing paper based on the information stored in the memory. Printing can be done by scanning a dot generating mechanism of the same size in correspondence with a matrix, or by, for example, using a memory correspondence for each dot element of a print head that can print the first vertical column (7 dots) all at once. The first row (7 bits) are printed at the same time by giving the information to do so, and then the second to fifth columns are printed in the same way, or the first row (5 dots) in the horizontal direction are all printed at the same time. There are some that reproduce the letter A by printing the second to seventh lines. In the conventional printing device described above, the size and spacing of the dots on the print head are constant, so when printing characters as shown in FIG. 1, the method described above can be used. In order to print the letter A twice the size, as shown in FIG. 2, four dots -e are made to correspond to one dot in FIG. 1. Although the dot correspondence can be easily made to correspond with a code converter or the like, as can be understood from FIG. 2, it cannot be said to be optimal as a pattern for entering characters. That is, there is a drawback that the character shape becomes unnatural and the print quality deteriorates. Furthermore, in the above-mentioned method, the number of dots is naturally quadrupled, so that the scanning time required for printing becomes longer and the printing speed decreases.

In order to solve all of the above-mentioned drawbacks, if the character Af is represented by a 7×9 matrix as shown in FIG. 3 and printed, the print quality will not deteriorate. Moreover, in this case, there is an advantage that it can be printed even if the size is not an integer multiple. However, for the same character, character data corresponding to the character shown in Figure 1 and character data shown in Figure 3 It is necessary to prepare character data corresponding to such characters and two types of data.

That is, a 5x7 dot matrix font and a 7x7 dot matrix font.
It is necessary to have a storage section in which the x9 dot matrix font is recorded, and there is a drawback that the capacity of the storage section becomes enormous as the number of printed characters and types of sizes increase.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks and provide a multi-size printing device capable of printing in various sizes without increasing storage capacity and without degrading print quality.

The printing device of the present invention is a dot matrix printing device that prints and displays characters or figures using a finite number of black or white dots, and includes a head that incorporates a plurality of sets of dot generating mechanisms with different dot spacings, and a head that incorporates a plurality of sets of dot generating mechanisms with different dot spacings. and a size select switch for selectively operating any one of the dot generation mechanisms, and by selecting any dot generation mechanism, it is possible to print image patterns of different sizes on the same character data. It is characterized by

Next, the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. That is, a head 2 movable in the direction of arrow 1 is used to print an a-size character 4 or a b-size character 5 on a printing paper based on character data previously stored in a storage section 3.

The head 2 is one that can print n dots 6 to 8 at the same time.
The apparatus includes a set of first dot generating mechanisms and another set of second dot generating mechanisms for simultaneously printing n dots 9 to 11. The first dot generation mechanism and the second dot generation mechanism are
The size and spacing of the dots are different, with the first dot generation mechanism printing A size characters and the second dot generation mechanism printing B size characters. Then, by using the size select switch 12, the character data in the storage section 30 is switched and inputted. The storage unit 3 has the first row 14 to the nth row 1
This is a memory that stores "■" or @0 in each of the IJ luxury elements, consisting of n rows up to 6 and m columns from the 1st column 17 to the m-th column 20.The memory corresponds to the number of characters. Of course, the data in each row of the first column 17 is read out from the storage section select switch 13, sent to each element of the first dot generation mechanism by the size select switch 12, and The generation mechanism is n
dots 6 to 8 are printed simultaneously. Next, the head 2 moves a predetermined distance in the direction of the arrow 1, and the select switch 13 reads out the data in each row of the second column 18 and selects the second column as described above.
Print columns. If you print up to the mth column in this way, 1
Characters are printed.

The next character is printed by reading the corresponding character data in the same manner as described above. When printing B size characters, it is possible to print in the same manner as described above by switching the size select switch 12.

In this case, the moving distance of the head 2 in the direction of the arrow 1 is increased by the ratio of the character size. The storage capacity of the storage unit 3 is
It is constant regardless of the size of the character, and is commonly used for both A-size and B-size characters. That is, storage capacity is not increased. Furthermore, the a size characters printed by the first dot generation mechanism and the fC,b size characters printed by the second dot generation mechanism are roughly similar, and the print quality will not deteriorate as in the past. There isn't.

FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) are a bottom view and a side view showing an example of the dot generation mechanism of the head 2 described above.

In this case, when printing small size characters, the wire dots in the small size wire dot print string 21 are operated, and when printing dog size characters, the wire dots in the dog size wire dot print string 22 are moved. By switching the size changeover switch 12 described above, uppercase or lowercase letters can be printed using the same serial printing method as in the past.

FIG. 6 shows an example of a dot generation mechanism when applied to a serial thermal type head. That is, in the same head substrate 23, one vertical column of heating element columns 24 and 25 having different dot sizes and intervals are formed in two-element rows. Each element of the heating element rows 24 and 25 is connected to a lead wire 28.
are connected in parallel to each other, and one column of character data from the storage section 3 is inputted sequentially. Then, the size select switch 12 selects one of the small size common line 26 and the dog size common line 27.

The selected heating element array 24 or 250 generates heat to print on the thermal paper.

FIG. 7 shows the case where the present invention is applied to a thermal type fax head. In this case, on the same board,
A dot generating mechanism having different dot thicknesses and intervals, that is, a horizontal row of small-sized heating element lines 29 and dog-sized heating element lines 32 are formed. When printing small-sized characters, current is supplied to the heating element line 29 through the small-sized common line 30, and character data is supplied from the small-sized lead wire 31 to cause the corresponding heating element to generate heat.

To print with dog-sized characters, power is supplied from the dog-sized common line 33, and character take-off is supplied from the dog-sized lead wire 34 to generate heat in each element, thereby printing large-sized characters.

Although the above description has been made for the case of printing characters of two different sizes for convenience, it is also possible to provide the head with dot generating mechanisms of three or more different sizes.

As described above, in the present invention, a plurality of sets of dot generation mechanisms with different dot sizes and intervals are provided in the head, and these are arbitrarily selected by the size select switch to create character data in a common storage section. Since the printer is configured to operate smoothly, characters of different sizes can be printed without increasing the capacity of the storage unit that stores character data. Furthermore, since the printed characters have similar shapes, the quality of the characters does not deteriorate and they are easy to read. Furthermore, since the number of dots does not increase when printing large characters, there is also the effect that the printing speed does not slow down.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 shows character data representing the character A using a 5 x 7 matrix, and Figure 2 is an example of conventional printing in which a character enlarged twice both vertically and horizontally using the above character data is printed using a 10 x 14 dot matrix. Figure 3 showing
The figure shows a conventional example in which the letter A, which has about twice the printing area, is printed in a 7 x 9 dot matrix, Figure 4 is a conceptual diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and Figures 5 (a) and (b) ) are a bottom view and a side view respectively showing the head when a small size wire dot printing string and a large size wire dot printing string are used in the dot generation mechanism of the above embodiment, and FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a case where heating element rows are used, and is a diagram showing an embodiment in which two sets of heating element lines in one horizontal row are used in the dot generation mechanism and applied to a thermal type fax machine. In the figure, 1 the moving direction of the dot generation mechanism, 2...
Head, 3... Storage section, 4... A size characters, 5
--B size characters, 6 to 8...Each element of the first dot generation mechanism, 9 to 11...Each element of the second dot generation mechanism, 12...Size select switch, 13... Storage unit select switch, 14-16...Each row of the storage unit matrix, 17-20...Each column of the storage unit matrix, 21...Small size wire dot, 22...Dog size wire dot, 23.・・Head board, 24・・
・Small size heating element row, 25...Dog size heating element row, 2
6...Small size common wire, 27...Dog size common line, 28...Lead wire, 29...Small size heating element line, 30...Small size common line, 31...Small size Lead wire, 32...Dog size heating element line, 33.
...Dog size common wire, 34...Dog size lead wire. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 (a) (b) Figure 6 627 Figure 7

Claims (1)

[Claims] A printing device of the driver)-r trix type for printing and displaying characters or figures with a finite number of black or white tods, comprising: a head incorporating a plurality of sets of dot generation mechanisms having different dot intervals; and a head incorporating the plurality of sets of dot generation mechanisms. A multi-size printer is equipped with a size select switch that selects and activates any one of the dot generation mechanisms, and is capable of printing image patterns of different sizes using the same character data by selecting an arbitrary dot generation mechanism. Printing device.