JPS60110478A - Bar code printing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to print a bar code having no blank part, by selectively controlling a pair of switches constituted so as to be capable of shifting the speed of a motor only by 1/2 of a dot interval. CONSTITUTION:A bar code signal is sent to a signal processing circuit 11 to form a head feed control signal Sh and a paper feed control signal Sp. For example, when a bar code signal for printing a narrow bar, a plurality of dots are printed along one line La and a pitch control signal Pp is supplied to a speed selecting circuit 16 in the signal processing circuit 11 while a switch circuit 18 is changed over to the side of a contact S. By this mechanism, the level of a motor driving signal is controlled to 1/2 in usual case in a paper feed control circuit 13. In this case, a necessary wire dot is driven simultaneously with paper feed to print a dot on the same line La. Therefore, the blank part of one narrow bar is eliminated and a bar edge becomes smooth. A similar result is also obtained in a wide bar.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention This invention relates to a barcode printing device using a dot matrix printer.

BACKGROUND ART AND PROBLEMS Conventionally, barcodes have been printed using a dedicated barcode printer, but since these printers are generally expensive, there is a desire to develop an inexpensive printer of this type.

A dot matrix printer is used to meet this demand. However, it is difficult to print high-quality barcodes with this printer.

For example, if you use a conventional dot matrix printer as is, narrow bars will be printed as shown in Figure 1A, and wide bars will be printed as shown in Figure 1B, so the bars will be printed where they should be completely black. In addition to creating blank spaces, the edges of the bar may become unstable, which may lead to errors in code reading.

That is, when reading a wide bar as shown in FIG. 1B with a barcode league, the wide bar can be read without error especially when the line scanned by the barcode reader is arrow a. On the other hand, if the scanning line is misaligned, as shown by the arrow, it may not be possible to read the wide bar correctly. The same goes for reading narrow bars.

Purpose of the Invention Therefore, the present invention provides high quality even when using an inexpensive dot matrix printer, with almost no reading errors occurring.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, in this invention, a dot matrix printer is used, a butanter head used therein, barcode printing paper, and a decoder that decodes the barcode signal and supplies it to the printer head. , a drive motor for moving the printer head, a drive motor for feeding the printing paper, and a speed control motor for shifting the speed of these motors by 1/2 of the dot interval. A barcode printing device is configured with the switch. A barcode signal supplied to this printing device selectively controls the pair of switches according to whether the barcode is a narrow bar or a wide bar, thereby printing a barcode with no blank space.

EXAMPLE Next, an example of the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to FIG. 2 and subsequent figures.

FIG. 2 is a system diagram showing an overview of the barcode printing device according to the present invention, in which the barcode signal supplied to the terminal (1) is converted by the decoder (2) into a drive signal for the printer head (4). After that, the head control circuit (3
) and its signal is supplied to the printer head (4). As the printer head (4), a head having a matrix wire such as (24×24) is used.

(5) is the bar code printing paper, and (6) is the row for feeding the paper. (7) is a motor for feeding the printer head (4), and (8) is a paper feeding roller (
6) is a motor for driving.

The barcode signal is further supplied to a signal processing circuit (11) to form a head feed control signal sh and a paper feed control signal Sp. (12) is a control circuit that controls the drive of the motor (6) based on the control signal sh, and (13) is a control circuit that controls the drive of the other motor (7) based on the control signal Sp. be.

This signal processing circuit (11) further includes a control circuit (12).
, (13) are provided only when necessary. That is, the pitch control signal P is output from the signal processing circuit (11) according to the barcode signal.
h, Pp are formed, and this is the speed selection circuit (15)
, (16), and their outputs control the respective changeover switches (17), (18). switch(
17) is controlled so that when the contact is switched to the N side, the head feed speed of the printer head (4) becomes the normal speed, and when the contact is switched to the S side, the head feed speed is 1/2 of the normal speed. Ru.

The other switch (18) is controlled so that when it is switched to the contact N side, the paper feed speed is normal, and when it is switched to the contact S side, the paper feed speed is 1/2.

Therefore, when a barcode signal for printing a narrow bar is input, a plurality of dots are printed along one line La as shown in FIG. 3A. Next, a signal processing circuit (11
), the pitch control signal pp is supplied to the speed selection circuit (16), and the switch circuit (18) is switched to the contact S side by the signal from the speed selection circuit (16). As a result, in the control circuit (13) for paper feeding, the level of the motor drive signal is reduced to 1 in the normal case.
/2, the motor (8) feeds the printing paper (5) in the direction of the arrow a by the length of the interval PvO1/2 corresponding to one dot.

(FIGS. 3A and B) At the same time as the paper is fed, only the necessary wire tods (four wire tods in this example) are driven to print dots on the same line La, as shown in FIG. 3B.

Therefore, the dots for the narrow bar finally printed will look like C in the same figure, so the narrow bar will have the same shape, 1
There are no blank spaces in the book's narrow bars, and the edges of the bars are smoother. With this type of printing, there will be no error in reading the narrow bar.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a wide bar, and in this example, for convenience of explanation, the wide bar is constructed of (3×6) matrix dots. When a barcode signal for wide bar printing is input, three lines La"L are first printed as shown in Figure 4A.
18 dots are printed at once along the line c. When this printing is completed, the pitch control signal ph generated by the signal processing circuit (11) is sent to the speed selection circuit (15).
is supplied to the switch (17) for the first time at contact S
can be switched to the side. As a result, a motor drive signal is generated in the head feed control circuit (12) to drive the printer head (4) by a 1/2 dot interval of 0.5 Ph (FIG. 4A). Printer head (4) is 1/2
At the same time as the dots are shifted to the right by the distance between the dots, only the necessary wire heads are driven, so that the dots shown in FIG. 4A are printed superimposed on the dots shown in FIG. 4B.

In the case of dot printing, there is some ink bleeding, so this printing is sufficient, but in this example, in order to further eliminate edge wobbling, the printing paper (5) is printed at 1/2 dot intervals of 0.5 Pv. The paper is fed and printed again in that state (C in the same figure). Therefore, the control signal Pp is again supplied to the speed selection circuit (16).

Note that C in the same figure is drawn without the dots printed in B in the same figure.

According to this dot printing, the wide bar will look like the same figure, so the final wide bar will be E in the same figure, and there will be no blank space within the wide bar, and the edges of the wide bar will also be smooth. Mistakes in reading barcode leagues can be reliably eliminated.

When printing wide bars, it is perfect to use the same pattern as described above, but for example, as shown in Figure 4F,
With the paper fed by 0.5Pv at 1/2 dot interval and the head fed by the same <0.5Ph, (2X5
If you print by driving the wire tod of ``), there will be no blank space in the printed bar, so you can use it not only in the case shown in the fourth diagram, but also in the case of B alone, C alone, or F of the same figure. Even if something printed like this is used as a wide bar, there will be no practical problem.

As described in detail, according to the present invention, even if an inexpensive dot matrix printer is used, barcode reading errors will not occur. Therefore, the present invention can provide an inexpensive barcode printing device.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a barcode used to explain this invention;
FIG. 2 is a system diagram of essential parts showing an example of a barcode printing apparatus according to the present invention, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are explanatory diagrams for explaining its operation. α[ is barcode printing device, (2) is decoder, (
4) is the printer head, (5) is the printing paper, (7),
(8) is a drive. Motors (17) and (18) are speed changeover switches. -Trench 484- The 4th cause AH E La Lb Lc La Lb Lc Mu Lb Lc -A only-

Claims (1)

[Claims] Butanter head for Tonto matrix printer,
A barcode printing paper, a decoder that decodes the barcode signal and supplies it to the printer head, a drive motor that moves the printer head, a drive motor that feeds the printing paper, and a drive motor that controls the speed of these motors. It consists of a switch provided respectively for speed control that allows shifting by 1/2 of the dot interval, and the bar code signal selects and controls the pair of switches according to the narrow bar and wide bar, and the blank is set. A barcode printing device that prints barcodes without copies.