JPS60151088A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable characters or images to be read without providing special devices or the like, by providing an optical guide means in a printer comprising a ribbon end detecting means. CONSTITUTION:In a normal printing operation, an optical sensor 5 is used for detecting the trailing end of a ribbon contained in a ribbon cassette. For example, when reading a pattern formed on a template 6 with 5X5mm. dots as a unit, the template 6 is set in the same manner as in the case of an ordinary paper, and a cassette 7 is fitted in place of a ribbon cassette. The cassette 7 is provided with an optical fiber 9 for directing the light emitted from the sensor 5 onto the template 6, in addition to an opening part for passing the sensor 5 therethrough. Accordingly, the pattern on the template 6 can be read by reciprocating the cassette 7 and sequentailly feeding the template 6 in the same manner as in the case of an ordinary printing operation.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field] The present invention relates to a printer, and particularly to a printer. The present invention relates to a printer having an end detector and an image registration function.

[Prior art]

In conventional printers, information on characters or images to be recorded is stored in advance in a built-in storage unit (hereinafter referred to as RAM), and the corresponding character code information is received from the host computer. Character or dot information is read from RAM and recorded.

However, the character patterns and specific image patterns stored in the RAM are usually edited by the host computer and registered in the RAM from the host computer.

Therefore, if the host computer is occupied by another job, pattern registration will not be executed. Furthermore, since the pattern registration from the host computer is done in bits, there is also the problem that the processing speed is slow.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention has been made in view of the above conventional problems,
The purpose is to provide a printer that can read characters or images without installing any special equipment.

[Summary of the invention]

In order to achieve the above object, has a printer according to the present invention been conventionally provided? It is characterized by the fact that images and character patterns can be read simply by using a front-end detector and adding a simple light guide means such as an optical fiber 9- to it.

[Embodiments of the invention]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a printer according to the present invention. In the figure, a control section 2 built into a printer 1 controls the overall operation of the printer 1 by inputting control signals including code information and the like from a host computer 3. For example, when printing the character pattern rAJ, the code information of "A" is output from the host computer 3 to the control unit 2, and the control unit 2, which manually inputs the code information of rAJ, prints the code information from the RAM (random access memory) 4. A matrix signal corresponding to the code information of rAJ is output to a printing section (not shown) to execute printing of rAJ.

Also, inkli? When the end of the line is detected by the optical sensor 5, the signal is output to the control section 2. Then, the control section 2 temporarily stops all operations of the printer 1, and causes the display section or the like to display a message informing that the printer should be replaced.

Furthermore, the registration of 9 turns from host computer 3 is also possible.
This is performed via the control unit 2 and stored in the RAM 4.

In addition to such conventional functions, the printer 1 according to the present invention has the following functions: The optical sensor 5, which serves as an end detector, is used as an image reading means.

Since the normal optical sensor 5 detects a reflective part such as silver paper provided at the end of the ribbon, it cannot read small figures or characters with high accuracy. Therefore, in this embodiment, a 5×5 square dot is used as a unit, and a desired character or image A? For example, a nof turn called rAJ is fabricated on the pattern drawn, that is, on the tensile rate 6, in units of 5 m squares.

The tentenure plate 6 with the pattern drawn thereon is set in the same manner as normal paper is set in the printer 1. Similarly, while reciprocating the carriage on which the print head is mounted and sequentially feeding the template 6, the no-turns rAJ on the template 6 are read from the optical sensor 5 in 5-angle units. The signal read from the optical sensor 5 is edited by the control unit 2 and stored in the RAM 4 as a /4 turn rAJ.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the reading section of the printer according to the present invention. In the figure, the optical sensor 5 is fixed to the printer 1, and the cassette 7 is connected to the printer 1. It has the same size and shape as the link cassette.

In other words, when a normal printing operation is performed, the cassette 7 is not in the correct position. A printer cassette is installed, and a print head such as a thermal head 8 records on the paper.
Optical sensor 5? This will be used to detect the end of the ribbon in the link cassette (5).

However, when reading the pattern on the template 6, set the template 6 in the same way as normal paper, and read the pattern on the template 6. A cassette 7 is attached instead of the link cassette. In addition to the opening through which the optical sensor 5 passes, the cassette 7 is provided with an optical fiber 9 for guiding the light emitted from the optical sensor 5 onto the tensile plate 6.

With this configuration, it is possible to reciprocate the cassette 7 in the same way as in a normal printing operation, to sequentially feed the tenging rate 6, and to read the pattern on the tenging rate 6.

Therefore, A?, which has traditionally been performed by relying on a host computer. Turn registration can be performed by the printer itself, independent of the host computer. Therefore, both the user and, of course, the manufacturer can register a desired character pattern or image very easily. Furthermore, as described above, the reading (6) function can be added to the conventional printer without requiring any special equipment.

Note that although the normal optical sensor 5 is provided with one light-emitting element and one light-receiving element, the printer according to the present invention may be provided with a plurality of light-receiving elements. This is because by providing a plurality of light-receiving elements, it is possible to read a plurality of dots of the /4' turn on the tensile rate 6, and there is no problem with the regen end detection function.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above in detail, the printer according to the present invention has the advantage that a reading function can be extremely easily added to a conventional printer.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an embodiment of a printer according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of a cassette showing the configuration of a reading section in this embodiment. 1... Printer, 4... Phantom W15... Optical sensor,
6... Ten rate, 7... Cassette, 9... Optical fiber. (7)

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) In a printer having an end detection means, a light guide means is provided, and the light guide means and the end of the line are connected to each other. A printer characterized in that an image on a recording surface is read by an end detection means. (2) The printer according to claim 1, wherein the ribbon end detection means includes a light emitting element and a light receiving element. (3) The printer according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of the light receiving elements are provided. (4) The printer according to claim 1, wherein the light guide means is an optical fiber.