JPS6164473A - Printer with apparatus for measuring hammer flight time - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to measure the flight time of a hammer at every hammering mechanism from the difference between a driving pulse generating time and the generation time of a pulse by the blocking of laser beam at the flight time of the hammer. CONSTITUTION:A beam emitting means 101 and a beam receiving means 102 are together moved slightly to the direction shown by the arrow (a) to adjust the distance G between a platen opposed surface 106 and laser beam. If a driving pulse is applied to a terminal, one of hammering mechanisms is operated to allow a hammer 5 to fly out toward a platen 11. Because the hammer 5 flying out at this time blocks laser beam 100, the blocking result thereof appears to the output terminal of the beam receiving means 102 as a pulse. The driving pulse is set as a start signal while the signal generated by the beam receiving means 102 is set as a stop signal to display the number of clock pulses on a display device 252 by a counter 251.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a printer with a device for measuring the flight time of a printing hammer.

Line printers are one of the output devices of electronic computers that have been widely used in recent years.

To explain the main parts of this line printer, especially the printing device, it has a configuration as shown in Figure 2 (al(b)). A type belt 2 is stretched over two pulleys Ia and Ib in a spider-like manner and runs in the direction of the arrow I, and the upper half of the type belt 2 is affixed to A.

B, G...-1, 2, 3... A8 B, C
The printed characters 4 are engraved on it. Immediately below each type 4, the type 4 is placed in a one-to-one correspondence with each type.
A mark 8 indicating the position is attached. The hammer 5 shown in FIG. 5 strikes the paper 12 and the ink ribbon 13 which are arranged between the platen 11.When the type on the type belt 2 is aligned with the striking surface of the hammer 5, 411 it hits the desired image to be printed. In the case of print, the characters, numbers, or symbols are printed on the paper 12 by the impact between the platen 11 and the platen 11. 31 is the mark 3.
A sensor that detects the position m of the type to be typed.
Since the distance Ll, LI from l, mB to the home position mark 8a does not change in summer, if you count how many output pulses generated by the sensor 31 are for the home position mark 3a, you can calculate the current print. The character being attempted turns out to be the desired character or type.

In addition,! ! Figure 2 (b) #2° is the driver, 21
28 is a drive pulse input terminal, and 24 is a magnet coil.

In a line printer having such a configuration, for example, 136 striking mechanisms 26 are provided adjacently and in parallel in the hammer unit 26, so that the striking mechanisms 26 in units shown in FIG. 2(b) do not work. In this case, it is necessary that the flight distances of the corresponding hammers 5 caused by the individual functions of the respective embossing mechanisms 26, and hence the flight times, be within tolerances. This adjustment to make the flight time of each hammer the same can be achieved to a considerable degree by pulling out and recessing the semi-fixing screw 27 shown in FIG. 2 (bJ).

However, even if you use this method to adjust the flight time of each hammer to within the allowable value for all the strokes stored in the hammer unit 25, the usage of the destination where the printer is shipped Depending on the situation, the difference in hammer flight time becomes larger for each striking mechanism. The biggest factor is the impact mechanism 2.
Wear of each movable part and sliding part contact part in 6,
This wear causes unevenness in the flight time of the hammer, and if this exceeds the permissible limit, it may cause misalignment between characters stamped on the paper 12 or missing characters, resulting in an unsightly appearance. turn into.

Therefore, if the missing characters start to occur and become noticeable, the hammer flight time M can be reconsidered for each impact mechanism 26 by turning the semi-fixing screws 27 provided in each impact mechanism 26. Or it may be necessary to correct this in some other way. For this purpose, it is necessary to accurately measure the flight time of the hammer 5.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, in order to measure the flight time of the hammer 5, the type belt 2 was first removed from the pulley 1a, and instead,
A sheet 40 in which two mutually insulated parallel wires 41 and 42 of copper foil, for example, are pasted in a staggered manner on a flexible insulating substrate as shown in FIG. Paste each end of the two parallel lines 41.42! 50 and 51 were connected to a short circuit detection device (not shown).

For example, if the hammer leaves immediately after striking the part shown as 43, 44, 45..., the two parallel wires 41 and 42 will cause a short circuit at the point 44 above, for example. , a pulse is generated at the output of a detection device (not shown). Therefore, if we measure the time from the time when the drive pulse is applied to the appearance of the output pulse of the detection device in order for each impact mechanism 26, For example, since the time it takes for an electrical signal to travel through two parallel lines can be ignored, the flight time of each hammer can be measured.

[Problems that the invention attempts to solve]

However, in the case of the above structure, the first thing is that the copper foil forming the two parallel wires is easily peeled off by the hammer blow which causes deformation. In order to remove the type belt 2 and tension the flexible substrate in its place, the hammer unit shown as 25 in Figure 2 (aJ) must be completely removed.This second problem is particularly troublesome. The hammer unit 25, which is heavy and requires a precise installation method, must be removed by a skilled person, and if an unskilled person is forced to do this, there is a risk of injury.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention aims to provide a printer with a novel hammer flight time measuring device that solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and the means thereof includes a light emitting means such as a laser diode and a phototransistor at both ends of the hammer unit. A light receiving means (light detecting means) such as the above is provided, and a predetermined light beam bending means 200B, 200b (for example, a prism) is used to pass the light into the gap between the hammer unit and the paper or type belt. Then, the flight time of the hammer 5 can be measured for each stamping mechanism 26 from the difference between the time when the drive pulse is generated and the time when the pulse is generated due to blocking the light beam when the hammer flies. It is.

[For production]

The new printer not only eliminates the need to remove the hammer unit 25, which is heavy and has a precise attachment mechanism, as described above, but also eliminates the need for complicated attachment and detachment of a type belt or a board with two parallel wires attached. It is practical and highly effective as it allows you to avoid time-consuming work.

〔Example〕

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

FIG. 1 is a top view showing the configuration of a printer with a novel hammer flight time measuring device according to the present invention.

In the exaggerated gap G between platen 11 and hammer unit 25, paper 2, type ribbon 18 and type belt 2 are interposed. Sara【
A laser beam 10 is emitted in parallel with the type belt 2.
0 is allowed to pass. and hammer unit 2
Both end faces of the hammer 5 are provided with a laser beam emitting means 101 and a light receiving means 102, and each of these means has a built-in semiconductor laser 103 and a light receiving element 104, respectively, forming a hammer flight time measuring device. .

GENERAL START OF OPERATION OF THE PRINTER In order to make it easier for the operator to insert paper, the hammer unit 25 is designed to be movable in the direction of the arrow by several degrees α, for example.

To measure the flight time, the hammer unit 25 is moved in the direction of the arrow W, and the light emitting means 101 and the light receiving means 102 are moved together in the direction of the arrow W, in the same way as when inserting the paper. The distance d between the platen facing surface 106 of the hammer unit 25 and the laser beam is made to be approximately the same as the distance between the platen facing surface 106 and the type on the type belt during normal printing.

In this way, the presence of the type belt does not affect the driving pulse, and then the drive pulse is applied to the terminal 23 (FIG. 2(b)).
In Figure 1, 1 is deliberately not shown to avoid complication)
In addition, one of the striking mechanisms 26 tested
One operates, and the hammer 5 pops out in the direction of the platen 11.

Since the hammer 5 that has jumped out at this time blocks the laser beam 100, the result of the blocking appears as an output t of the light receiving means 102 as a pulse. Therefore, a portion of the drive pulse ST generated by the laser light drive source 250 (pulse generator) that controls the light emitting means 101 is sent to the counter 25 via the path y.
1, but a clock pulse CKL is always applied to this counter 251.

Therefore, first, the counter 251 starts counting clock pulses by using the drive pulse as a start signal. If the signal generated by the light receiving means 102 is added to the same counter 251 as a stop signal via the path, the counter 251 that was counting the clock signal
Since this stops counting, if the number of clock pulses from the start of counting to the stop of counting is displayed on the display 252, the above hammer flight time can be easily determined from the number and speed of clock pulses used here. can be measured. To carry out these procedures, each embossing tip means 101 and the light receiving means 102 may be fixed at a position lower than the platen facing surface 106 of the hammer unit 25.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, in the printer with the hammer flight time measuring device according to the present invention, there is no need to remove the type belt when measuring the hammer flight time, and there is no need to remove the heavy hammer unit. Since the hammer flight time is not necessary and can be easily measured, a great practical effect can be expected, such as allowing a daily printer operator to measure the hammer flight time and easily correct it.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

f! Figure IJ1 is a top view showing the structure of a printer with an uninvented rotor hammer flight time measuring device, Figure 2 (a) is a perspective view showing the general structure of the printer, and Figure 2 (b) is a top view of the printer with an inventive roller hammer flight time measuring device. Figure %2 (C
1 is a diagram showing a sheet used for conventional hammer flight time measurement. In the figure, 1 a + 1 b is a pulley, 2 is a type bell, 5 is a hammer, 11 is a platen ζ - 12 is paper, 13
102 represents an ink ribbon, 102 represents a light receiving means, and 103 represents a laser beam emitting means. Figure 2 to) Figure 2 (C)

Claims (1)

[Claims] A hammer unit configured by adjacently arranging a plurality of striking mechanisms each having a hammer for printing, and a platen arranged in parallel with a predetermined gap in the longitudinal direction of the hammer units. ,
A drive pulse applied to the striking mechanism causes the hammer that starts flying from a resting position to fly through the predetermined gap, thereby emitting a blocked light beam in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the platen or hammer unit;
Both a light projecting means and a light receiving means for receiving light are disposed at both ends of the hammer unit, and a circuit measures the time from the time when the driving pulse is applied until the light receiving means detects light blocking by the hammer. A printer equipped with a hammer flight time measuring device.