JPS62227779A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce burden on an operator, by operating switches to set a left margin through a marking, prior to a printing operation. CONSTITUTION:A controlling system for a printer comprises a motor-driving circuit 8 for a carriage motor 3, a motor-controlling circuit 9 for controlling the circuit 8, a left margin controlling circuit 10 for outputting information indicating a set left margin to the controlling circuit 9, and left margin operating switches 11. Before a printing operation, an operating switch 11a for shifting a left margin leftward or an operating switch 11b for shifting the left margin rightward is operated in an offline mode to move a marking M of an ink ribbon mask 5 to a desired left margin, whereby the left margin in the actual printing is set in the left margin controlling circuit 10, and according to this setting, the motor-controlling circuit 9 is controlled to operate the carriage motor 3. Thus, printing can be performed with the desired left margin.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] Purpose of invention] (Industrial application field) The present invention particularly relates to a serial printing type printing device.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, in serial printing type printers, the leftmost print start position (hereinafter referred to as left margin) has been set by a command from a host computer.

By the way, since the setting of the left margin from the host computer is a software process, the operator cannot visually confirm the position until the printing operation actually starts.

Therefore, in order to accurately set the intended left margin, it is necessary to perform trial printing while changing the left margin several times, which poses the problem of placing a burden on the operator. Ta.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and is an object of the present invention, which makes it possible to extremely easily set the left margin in a printing device, thereby reducing the burden on the operator. It is.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) The printing device of the present invention includes a carriage on which a print head is mounted and a marking indicating a print start position at a predetermined position, and a carriage that can be displaced left and right. a motor that drives the motor, a motor drive circuit that drives the motor, a switch that generates a print start position setting request in offline mode before printing operation, and a switch that displaces the carriage to the print start position set by the switch. and a print control circuit that controls the motor drive circuit so that the set print start position is used as a subsequent print start position.

(Function) As a result, by operating the switch before printing, the carriage can actually be moved and the printing start position can be set based on the marking, allowing the operator to directly visually confirm the printing start position. can.

(Example) Hereinafter, details of an example of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, 1 is a carriage on which the print head 2 is mounted, 3 is a sharpening motor that displaces the carriage 1 in the left and right direction, 4 is an ink ribbon, and 5 is provided on the carriage 1 to prevent the ink ribbon 4 from floating up. On the other hand, an ink ribbon mask provided with markings to be described later, 6 a platen roller serving as a backing for the paper S, and 7 a platen roller motor that rotates the platen roller 6 and feeds the paper S.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the ink ribbon mask 5 used in the apparatus of this embodiment.

As can be seen from this figure, the ink ribbon mask 5 is provided with a line-shaped marking M near the right end. This marking M indicates the printing start position on the paper where printing is actually performed when the print head 2 whose tip protrudes from the penetrating portion 5a starts a printing operation. That is, the distance from the penetrating portion 5a to the marking M corresponds to the idle running distance of the print head.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram roughly showing the circuit configuration of the control system of the apparatus of this embodiment.

In the figure, 8 is a motor drive circuit that drives the carriage motor 3, 9 is a motor control circuit that controls this motor drive circuit 8, and 10 is information indicating a left margin set as described later to the motor control circuit 9. The output left margin control circuit 11 is a left margin operation switch composed of a left margin left direction operation switch 11a and a left margin right direction operation switch 11b, which will be described later.

In the apparatus of this embodiment, when the reflex 1 to margin operation switches 11 are operated in the offline mode, the left margin control circuit 10 performs left margin updating processing.

First, it is determined whether it is possible to set the left margin to the left margin according to the request, that is, whether the left margin exceeds the right edge or left edge position of the paper S, and if it is possible to set it, then Then, the process actually moves to update processing, calculates the moving claw of the carriage 1, and transfers the data to the motor control circuit 9.

The motor control circuit 9 controls the motor drive circuit 8 based on data from the left margin control circuit 10.

As a result, the carriage motor 3 actually rotates, and the carriage 1 moves until the marking M on the ink ribbon mask 5 reaches the updated left margin.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a method of setting a left margin to be reproduced in the apparatus of this embodiment.

In the figure, P1 to P3 are the left margin, that is, the positions of the markings M on the ink ribbon mask 5.

A is the position of the print head 2 and marking M in the initial state, and B is the left margin right direction operation switch 11.
C shows the position of the print head 2 and marking M updated by one operation of b, and C shows the position of the print head 2 and marking M when the left margin right direction operation switch 11b is operated one more time.

Note that when the left margin left direction operation switch 11a is operated, the print head 2 moves in the opposite direction.

Thus, in the present embodiment, the left margin left direction operation switch 11 is activated in the offline mode prior to the printing operation.
When the marking M of the ink ribbon mask 5 is moved to the desired left margin by operating either a or the left margin right direction operation 11b, the left margin for actual printing is set in the left margin control circuit 10. Accordingly, the motor control circuit 9 is controlled and the sharp edge motor is operated, so that printing can be performed with a desired left margin.

In the apparatus of this embodiment, the operator can visually check the set left margin, which greatly facilitates the work of setting the left margin.

Note that the present invention can also be applied as a layout setting means for a character display device such as a CRT display.

In other words, by displaying a cursor corresponding to the marking on the screen and setting the display start position by moving this cursor before displaying the characters, the layout of the displayed characters on the screen can be easily set. I can do it.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, in the printing device of the present invention, the left margin is set by operating a switch and marking prior to the printing operation, so the operator can directly visually check the left margin, and the operator The burden on people will be significantly reduced.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an enlarged view showing an ink ribbon mask in the apparatus according to the embodiment, and Fig. 3 is a control of the apparatus according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of the system, and is a diagram illustrating a left margin setting method using the apparatus of the embodiment. 1... Carriage 2... Print head 3... Carriage motor 4...
... Ink ribbon 5 ... Ink ribbon mask 6 ...
...Platen roller 7 ...Platen roller motor 8 ...
...Motor drive circuit 9 ...Motor control circuit 10 ...Left margin control circuit 11
...Left margin operation switch M...
・・・・・・Marking applicant Toshiba Corporation Representative Patent attorney Sasu Suyama - Figure 1 Figure 2

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A carriage mounted with a print head and provided with a marking indicating the print start position at a predetermined position, a motor that displaces this carriage from side to side, a motor drive circuit that drives this motor, and an offline line before printing operation. A switch that generates a request to set a print start position in a mode, and a switch that displaces the carriage to the print start position set by this switch, and a motor that displaces the carriage to the print start position set by the switch and makes the set print start position the subsequent print start position. A printing device comprising a printing control circuit that controls a drive circuit. (2) The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the marking is provided on an ink ribbon mask mounted on the carriage.