JPS6299167A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform a printing on a paper having an indefinite thickness, such as postal cards, envelopes and slips or the like, by sequentially moving a head of a printer while maintaining a paper in a fixed state. CONSTITUTION:A slip or the like to be printed is set at a predetermined position on a table 1, and a controlling circuit 19 is turned ON, where by the controlling circuit 19 rotates a stepping motor 4 according to a recorded program, thereby moving a support unit 11 to a printing position. This movement of the support unit 11 is effected by rotating feed screws 2, 8, which are arranged respectively in X-axis and Y-axis directions relative to the table 1, predetermined numbers of revolutions by the stepping motor 4. After the support unit 11 is moved to the printing position, a printing head 18 supported on the unit 11 is operated, whereby printing on a postal card, an envelope, a slop or the like placed on the table 1 can be easily performed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a printer that can easily print on postcards, envelopes, slips, etc.

Generally, printers for computers include friction type printers and bin feed type printers.

Of these two types of printers, the friction type printer wraps a cut sheet of paper around a printer roll, and prints by feeding the paper while allowing the roll to rotate. For this reason, although it is possible to print on friction type paper even if it is not continuous paper, there is a problem in that the size of paper that can be printed on is naturally limited. For example, if you try to print a postcard with a regular printer, the paper is too short, so you can't feed it stably, and the Y4 of the paper is hard, so you can't wrap it around the printer's roll properly, so the print is not possible. It was almost impossible.

Also, when trying to print multiple sheets of slip paper,
There was a problem in that the stacked sheets of paper would shift when paper was fed, resulting in poor printing.

Furthermore, when trying to print on envelopes, etc., there are various sizes of envelopes, but the smaller ones are difficult to print on due to their narrow width and short length, and they are also large. There was a problem that the size of the printer was too large than the printing width of the printer, making it impossible to set it in the printer and making it impossible to print.

(Means for solving the problem) Therefore, in the present invention, in view of the above problems, printing is performed by sequentially moving the printer head while keeping the paper fixed instead of moving the paper. The purpose of this printer is to provide a printer configured as follows: a table for fixing paper, a feed screw installed in the vertical and horizontal directions of this table, and a printer configured to rotate the feed screw. a step motor, a support unit provided at an intersection of the feed screw and moved by rotation of the feed screw, a print head supported by the support unit, and a control for controlling the step motor. Blink was constructed from the circuit.

(Function) Set the slip, etc. to be printed at a predetermined position on the table,
By turning on the control circuit, the control circuit rotates the step motor according to the recorded program and moves the support unit to the printing position. This movement of the support unit is carried out by each feed screw, which is disposed in the X- and Y-axis directions with respect to the table, being rotated by a predetermined number of rotations by a step motor. After the support unit is moved to the printing position, the print head that is fully supported by the support unit is activated to print on a slip or the like on the table.

(Detailed Description of the Structure of the Invention) The printer according to the present invention includes a flat table for fixing paper having an unspecified shape and thickness such as postcards, envelopes, and slips, and a flat table arranged above the table surface. A Y comprising feed screws provided in the vertical and horizontal directions, a step motor connected to one end of the feed screws for rotating each feed screw, and the feed screws.
a support unit disposed at the intersection of the axis and the Y axis and moved in predetermined X and Y directions by rotation of the feed screw; and a print head supported by the support unit;
The control circuit includes a control circuit that rotates and controls the step motor by a predetermined number of rotations.

The table may be formed into a flat plate,
It is mainly made of a rectangular iron plate, and the setting position where envelopes, slips, etc. should be set is displayed on its surface.

Please note that this table is not limited to iron plate, but is also made of wood.

It may be made of synthetic resin or other various materials,
Any material can be used as long as it can easily attach envelopes, slips, etc.

The feed screws provided on the table in the Y-axis direction and in the Y-axis direction are supported by bearings provided at the ends of the table, and screws are threaded along the longitudinal direction of the feed screws, The support unit is moved to a predetermined position by the threading of this screw.

Note that the support unit may be configured to be movable using a rack or the like instead of the feed screw, or may be changed to other suitable moving means.

For example, instead of the feed screw and step motor, a hydraulic cylinder or the like may be used as the moving means, and the support unit may be moved in the X and Y axis directions by this cylinder.

Further, the shape of the support unit that can be moved to a predetermined position by the feed screw is not limited to any particular shape, as long as it can support the print head.

The print head supported by the support unit may be supported so as to be able to swing relative to the support unit through a butterfly plate, and the print head is attached to the butterfly plate above the support unit. It is possible to adopt a format in which a biasing means for biasing the printing head is provided, and a retaining means is provided on the support unit side for resisting the biasing means and can retain the print head to the support unit.

A spring can be used as the biasing means, and a solenoid or the like can be used as the engaging means.

Further, in addition to a type in which the print head swings relative to the support unit, a type in which the support unit or the print head itself can be raised and lowered via an elevating means may be used.

Alternatively, the support unit fixed to the moving means may be rotated upward by rotation of the moving means.

In short, when moving the print head, move the print head upward so that it does not come into contact with the fixing means, such as a magnet, used to fix envelopes or slips placed on the table. It is sufficient if there is a means of evacuation.

In the printer of the present invention configured as described above, by setting a slip, an envelope, two postcards, etc. to be printed at a predetermined position on the table and operating the control circuit, the information can be stored in the ROM of the control circuit. A moving means such as a step motor is operated according to the program, and the support unit is moved to a predetermined position. During the movement, the print head supported by the support unit is at a position above the table surface, and after the support unit stops at the fixed position, it is fully engaged with the support unit. Only after moving to this position does the print head come close to the table surface.Then, the print head starts operating and prints at a predetermined position.

In this way, in the printer of the present invention, the envelopes, slips, etc. to be printed are fixed at a predetermined position on the table, and the print head side moves toward the slips or envelopes to print. Even if the thickness and shape of envelopes, slips, etc. are unspecified, it is possible to easily print addresses, etc. in predetermined places.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

First, in FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 indicates a table made of a plate made of iron and formed into a rectangular shape. At the upper end of the table 1 is a rod-shaped feed screw 2 with a male thread formed on the outer periphery.
is provided. The right end of the feed screw 2 is rotatably supported by a bearing 3, and the left end of the feed screw 2 is connected to the rotating shaft of a step motor 4.

- Edge 1 At the lower end of the table 1, a support rod 5 is provided which is formed in a columnar shape in the left-right direction in the figure.

Both ends of this support rod 5 are fixed to the table 1 by brackets 6.6.

Next, a rectangular support base 7 is provided above and below the table 1 in the drawing. The lower end of the support base 7 shown in the figure is slidably supported by the support rod 5, and the upper end is screwed onto the feed screw 2. Therefore, the support base 7 can be moved in parallel in the left-right direction in the drawing by the rotation of the feed screw 2.

On the other hand, a feed screw 8 is provided on the support base 7 along its longitudinal direction. The illustrated upper end of the feed screw 8 is rotatably supported by a bearing 9, and the illustrated lower end is not connected to the rotating shaft of the step motor IO.

Next, a square support unit 11 is attached to the feed screw 8.
is completely screwed on. This support unit 11 is divided into a traveling unit 12 and a swinging unit 13, as shown in FIG. The traveling unit 12 has a feed screw 8 in its center.
is completely screwed on, and at the bottom of this is the traveling unit 1.
2 on support stand 7! Roller for glt 14.
14 is rotatably provided. A solenoid 15 is built into the left end of the travel unit 12 to attract a swing unit 13, which will be described later.

On the other hand, the swing unit 13 is hinged to the left end of the traveling unit 12 by a butterfly plate 16.

A spring (not shown) is built inside the butterfly plate 16, and the spring lifts the swing unit 13 upward as shown by the imaginary line in the drawing. Note that a suction plate 17 is fixed to the right end surface of the swing unit 13 in the figure, and when the solenoid 15 is energized, the suction plate 17 is attracted, and the swing unit 13 moves to the position shown by the solid line in the figure. It is supposed to be done.

Next, a print head 18 is fixed to the right end surface of the swing unit 13 in the drawing. In this example, the print head 18 has 24 pins arranged in rows for printing.
A pin type type is used, and kanji can be printed in Mincho font.

Next, the control circuit 19 will be explained. In this example, a control circuit 19 is provided at the bottom of the table 1 in the drawing. This control circuit 19, as shown in FIG.
, Z80PIO21, 22, 280CTC23,
It is mainly composed of a ROM 24 and a RAM 25.

4t to Z80PIO22, stepping motor interface 26, and head pin drive interface 2
7, the solenoid drive interface 28, the select switch 33, and the operation switch 34 are connected.

The stepping motor interface 26 is capable of driving the step motors 4 and 10, and the head bin drive interface 27 is capable of exciting a solenoid that drives a plunger (not shown) of the print head 18. 2
8 is adapted to drive a solenoid 15. The select switch 33 and the operation switch 34 are made up of ordinary switches, and the select switch 33 allows settings such as postcard printing and envelope printing, while the operation switch 34 controls the entire printer. Controls can be set.

Next, the stepping motor interface 26 has a configuration as shown in FIG. That is, it is mainly composed of motor drive ICs 29 and 30, driver transistors Tr and -Tra connected thereto, and surge absorption diodes D and -D.

This stepping motor interface 26 is configured as a normal two-phase excitation circuit, and has a 280PI02
2, the rotation of the step motor 4.10 can be controlled according to the number of pulses.

32 is a connection cable, which connects the control circuit 19 and the computer 3.
1 can be connected.

Next, the action and effect will be explained.

First, to explain an example of printing postcards, in this example, as shown in Fig. 1, marks H and F are drawn in advance at predetermined positions on table 1 to indicate the installation positions of postcards, envelopes, etc. There is. Therefore, when printing a postcard, place the postcard along this mark H. Once the installation is complete, secure the postcard with a small magnet.

Next, set the select switch 33 to postcard printing,
Furthermore, the operation switch 34 is set to the printing position. Then, the control circuit 19 performs subsequent printing control according to the program shown in FIG. (This program is in ROM24
is set in advance. ) That is, first, postcard printing or envelope printing is selected using 5TEPI and 5TEP2. (The selection of this printing state is determined from the setting state of the select switch 33.) Next, if postcard printing is selected by the judgment of 5TEPI and 5TEP2, (that is, the setting of the select switch 33 is set to the state of postcard printing. ) Proceed to step 3 and rotate the step motors 4 and 10 to move the print head 18 to the coordinates (a, b) of the table 1.

When this is completed, the process advances to step 4 and waits until the print code is sent from the computer 31.

If a printing hood is sent from the computer 31, in step 5 it is confirmed that it is not a printing hood, and then the process goes to step 6, where the computer 31
Print one character corresponding to the printing hood sent from.

Here, to explain this printing control in a little more detail, first, when printing is ready to start, a solenoid 15 drive signal is sent to the solenoid drive interface 28. Then, the suction plate 17 is fully suctioned by the solenoid 15, and the swing unit 13 is set from the state shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 2 to the state shown by the solid line in the figure.

When this is completed, a signal is then sent to the head pin drive interface 27, the head bin is ejected from the print head 18 to print, and at the same time, the step motor IO is rotated in synchronization with this to advance the print head 18. In the manner described above, one character is printed.

Next, once one character has been printed in step 6, the process proceeds to step 7, in which the step motor 10 is rotated to advance the print head 18 a little to create a space between characters.

Next, when the control in step 7 is completed, the process proceeds to step 8, where it is determined whether the print head 18 has reached the end of the mark H indicating the printing range for postcards. If the end is not reached, return to step 4 and repeat the same control as described above to continue printing; if the end is reached, step motors 4 and 10 are rotated to rotate the print head 18. After starting a new line, the process returns to step 4 to continue printing. On the other hand, if the judgment in step 5 is YES, this indicates the end of printing, so the process goes to step 10 to finish printing, and then in step 11 the return statement is executed to issue the command. It will now return to the standby state.

As described above, printing is performed in this example.

In addition, in this example, printing of postcards was explained as an example, but printing of envelopes, slips, etc. can also be done by placing envelopes, slips, etc. in predetermined positions on table 1 and fixing them with magnets. Of course, it can be done in the same way.

Furthermore, even if a printing material such as an envelope or a slip is fixed by a magnet, the print head 18 moves downward only when printing, so the fixing magnet does not get in the way. That's why.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, the present invention includes a table for fixing paper, a feed screw provided in the vertical and horizontal directions of the table, and a step motor for rotating the feed screw. a support unit provided at a point where the feed screw intersects and is moved by rotation of the feed screw; a print head fully supported by the support unit; and a control circuit for controlling the step motor. By configuring the printer, it is possible to extremely easily print on postcards, envelopes, slips, etc., which were extremely difficult to print on with conventional printers, which is an excellent feature unique to the present invention.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of the printer, FIG. 2 is a side view mainly showing the periphery of the support unit, and FIG. 3 mainly shows the control circuit. 4 is a circuit diagram showing a stepping motor interface, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing control when printing a postcard. l...Table 2...Feed screw 3...
Bearing 4...Step motor 5...
Support rod 6...Bracket 7...Support stand 8...Feed screw 9...Bearing
10...Step motor 11...Support -1-=
12... Traveling unit! To 13... Swing unit 14... Roller 15... Solenoid 16...'5 tfi17... Adsorption plate
18...Print head 19...Control circuit
20...Z80CPU21.22...Z80
PIO 23・-Z80CTC24・=ROM 25...RAM 26...Stepping motor interface 27
...Head pin drive interface 28...Solenoid drive interface 29.30...Motor drive IC 31...Computer 32...Connection cable 33...Select switch 34...Operation switch Patent applicant Small Kin Kawa - Agent Patent Attorney Yoshihisa Shimizu Figure 3

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A table for fixing paper, a feed screw provided in the vertical and horizontal directions of this table, a step motor for rotating this feed screw, and a step motor provided at the intersection of the feed screws. A printer comprising: a support unit which is moved by rotation of the feed screw; a print head supported by the support unit; and a control circuit for controlling the step motor. . (2) The print head is swingably supported by the support unit via a butterfly plate, and the butterfly plate is always equipped with biasing means for biasing the print head upward with respect to the support unit. 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the support unit is provided with a locking means for locking the print head to the support unit against the urging force of the urging means.