JPS62202752A - Printing control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a printing head from burning due to overheating, by a method wherein, in a wire dot printer, etc., a counting means outputs a count-out signal to cut a power supply to the printing head when the amount of printing reaches a predetermined value. CONSTITUTION:A counter 9a with the preset number of printing lines N starts following a start of printing by a printing head 1a and then counts by every line-feed until the printing of the preset line number N is accomplished, thereafter sending a count-out signal (e) to a main control part 10 to send a signal which stops a printing information sent from an external. On the other hand, an indicating lamp 11c on an operation panel 11 is turned ON to inform that a printing has not been conducted. Stopping of printing operation in this manner can prevent the printing head 1a from burning due to overheating.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] A print control system that protects the print head from overheating and burnout due to long-term printing in wire tod printers, etc., by providing a counting means for counting the amount of printing by the print head company. , can protect the print head.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to the protection of a print head in a wire tod printer or the like, and particularly to a print control system that can prevent the print head from being overheated and burnt out due to long-term printing.

In recent years, with the advancement of office automation, various computer terminals and word processors have been introduced.

Serial printers such as wire tod printers have been developed and put into practical use as print output devices.

In these printers, the printing element of the print head performs printing by energizing, so if printing is performed for a long time, it may overheat and burn out, and a method to prevent this is desired.

[Conventional technology]

In the plan view illustrating the outline of the wire tod printer in FIG. 3, the wire tod printer has a print head 1a.
Ribbon cassette 4. is opposed to printing paper 3 set on platen 2 with a gap therebetween, and supplies ink ribbon 4a. A carrier 5 on which the print head 1a and ribbon cassette 4 are mounted. A guide shaft 6 and a feed screw 7 for moving the carrier 5 are provided.

The feed screw 7 is connected to a space motor M1 via a belt 7a, and the print head 1a can be reciprocated in the directions of arrows A and B in the figure by forward and reverse rotation of the space motor. Further, the printing paper 3 is transported in the direction of arrow C by a paper transport mechanism 8 or the like.

The print head la includes a plurality of print magnets having print wires for forming prints using dots.

Accordingly, based on the print information, the print head 1a is moved by the carrier 5 to the print position in the direction of arrow A, the plurality of print magnets are selectively energized, the print wire is driven, and printing is performed.

- When printing for a line is completed, the printing paper 3 is fed line feed in the direction of arrow C, and the print head la continues printing in the direction of arrow B.

If the printing head 1a is printed continuously for a long period of time, it will overheat mainly due to the heat generated by the energization of the printing magnet. When the throughput reaches 1, a method for reducing the throughput is to switch to, for example, two-part printing, in which the - line is divided into three zones and printed, to reduce heat generation and prevent the temperature from rising.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

According to the above conventional method, there is a problem in that even if the throughput is reduced by a method such as three-part printing, a temperature rise cannot be prevented and burnout due to overheating may occur.

[Means for solving problems]

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of the principle of the present invention.

In the figure, 1 is a print head, 2 is a platen, and 9 is a counting means for counting the amount of printing by the print head 1.

Therefore, when the count by the counting means 9 reaches a predetermined value,
It is configured to stop printing by the print head 1.

[Effect]

Upon the start of printing, the counting means 9 is activated and starts counting, and when the print amount reaches a predetermined value, a count-out signal is output and the power supply to the print head 1 is cut off, thereby preventing overheating and burnout of the print head 1. can do.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

In the figure, 9a is a counter which is activated when the number of print lines N is set and printing by the print head 1 is started, counts every line feed, and outputs a count-out signal e when the count reaches the number N of print lines.

Therefore, operate when the amount of printing is not huge.

To explain the operation, first press the power button 1) a on the operation panel 1) to turn on the power.
When printing start button 1) b is pressed, the print information a from the external device 5, for example, the computer line, is transferred to the interface -f.
The print data b is input to the line buffer 13
The print position data C is sent to the space control section 15, and the line feed data d is sent to the LF control section 16. First, the printing paper 3 is sent to the specified position by the paper transport mechanism 8 driven by the LF motor Mz. , printing is started at the timing of driving the space motor M1 and driving the print head 1a by the print head control section 14 based on the print data output from the line buffer 13.

Then, the counter 9a is activated and counts each time print data is output from the line buffer 13. That is, the number of printed lines is counted.

When printing continues for a long time and reaches the set number of lines N, a count-out signal e is sent to the main control unit 10, which sends a signal to stop sending print information from the outside. In addition, the display lamp 1)C on the operation panel 1) lights up to notify that printing is stopped.

If printing ends before reaching the set number of lines N, the count of the counter 9a is cleared.

Next, if you know in advance that the amount of printing will be huge, and you want to print continuously at night, etc., without stopping printing as much as possible, even if it takes a little longer to print, reduce the throughput from the beginning. A method of printing is adopted,
To explain the operation and effect in this case, first, after turning on the power, press the three-division instruction button 1) d, and then press the print start button 1) b. The data is sent to each section, and the three-part printing control section 17
The print data stored in the line buffer 13 is divided into three parts and sequentially output, and printing is started.

Then, the counter 9a is activated and counts each time one line of print data is output from the line buffer 13.

When the printing reaches the set number of lines N, a count-out signal e is sent to the main control unit 10 to stop the transmission of printing information from the outside, and the display lamp 1) C lights up to notify that printing is stopped. do.

If printing ends before reaching the set number of lines N, the count of the counter 9a is cleared.

In this way, the limit of the number of lines to be printed in continuous printing is set, and by counting this and stopping the printing operation, it is possible to prevent the print head 1a from being burnt out due to overheating.

In the above example, the counter 9a starts counting at the same time as printing starts, but as mentioned above, the temperature sensor detects that the print head 1a has risen to a predetermined temperature, and the through height is lowered. It is also possible to start a counter and count the set number of lines when switching to split printing or the like.

Further, in the above example, the case where the number of printed lines is counted has been explained, but the same effect can be obtained by means for generally counting the amount of printing.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, there is an effect that burnout due to overheating of the print head can be prevented by continuous printing.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the principle of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating the outline of a wire tod printer. In the figure, 1.1a is a print head, 2 is a platen, 3 is a printing paper, 9 is a counting means, 9a is a counter,
10 is the main control unit, 1) is the operation panel, lla is the power button, 1)b is the print start button, llc is the display lamp,
lid is the three-part instruction button, 12 is the interface section, 1
3 is a line buffer, 14 is a print head control unit, 15 is
16 indicates a space control section, 16 indicates an LF control section, and 17 indicates a three-part printing control section. Figure 1 is a block diagram of the principle of the present invention. Figure 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the invention. Figure 3 is a plan view showing an outline of the wire tod printer.
figure

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In a printer that uses the print head (1) to print on a print medium set between a platen (2) and a print head (1) facing the platen (2), the print head (1) Counting means (9) for counting the amount of printing by
), and when the count by the counting means (9) reaches a predetermined value,
A print control method characterized by stopping printing by the print head (1). (2) The printing control system according to claim 1, wherein the counting means (9) starts counting from the time when the printing throughput by the printing head (1) is reduced.