JPS63130359A - Dot printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable printing operation in a power supply time optimal for a paper, by providing a plurality of switches for setting a plurality of power supply times through a power supply time circuit. CONSTITUTION:When a print command signal and a print data are fed from a host computer 10 to a printer body 12, CPU 13 takes in said signal and data, and carries out necessary conversion. Converted print data are outputted to a dot head driver 15. On the other hand, a signal for operating a power supply time circuit 16 is outputted from CPU 13, and the power supply time circuit 16 operates to output a power supply time data for driving a needle. A plurality of switches SW1-SWn for setting a plurality of power supply times are connected to the power supply time circuit 16, so as to vary the power supply time by switching any one of the switches. Consequently, one of said switches is turned ON corresponding to the number of sheets, thickness, quality, etc. of paper to be used so as to enable setting of optimal power supply time.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a dot printer that prints with a dot head having a plurality of needles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIG. 4 shows a schematic block diagram of a drive control system of a conventional wire dot printer of this type. First, a print command signal and print data are sent from the host computer 1 to the printer 2. Here, on the printer 2 side, this signal and data are input to the CPU 4 through the interface 3, and the
．． Performs signal processing necessary for printing. The thus processed data is output from the CPU 4 to the dot head driver 5. On the other hand, the CPU 4 operates an energization time circuit 6 using a timer or the like, and the energization time circuit 6 provides data on the energization time for driving the needles of the dot head 7 to the dot head driver 5, that is, a certain period of time necessary for printing. A signal is output.

In this way, when the dot head driver 5 receives signals and data from the CPU 4 and the energization time circuit 6, it combines certain energization time data and print data to control the dot head 7 for only a certain energization time. Output print data. As a result, the necessary needles of the dot head 7 perform an impact operation for a fixed energization time determined by the energization time circuit 6 to print on the paper.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In the case of such a conventional method, the energization time circuit 6 sets the energization time assuming standard paper (paper thickness, paper quality, etc.); The rest is output as a fixed energization time. However, when considering actual printing operations, the paper thickness used may be thicker or thinner than the standard, or may be one sheet or multiple sheets. Furthermore, various types of paper may be used.

If a printing operation is performed on such various types of paper under a fixed energization time as in the conventional method, the printed state may become faint or difficult to see. In other words, there is a problem of deterioration in print quality. or,
If the paper is thin, the impact force may be too strong, resulting in considerable noise during printing.

Means for Solving the Problem In a dot printer equipped with a driver that drives a dot head and an energization time circuit that sets the energization time for driving the needle by the driver, the energization time circuit sets a plurality of different energization times. A plurality of switches are provided outside the printer body.

The operator can know the number of sheets of paper to be printed, the paper thickness, the paper quality, etc. Therefore, if you change the switch installed outside the printer body depending on the paper and change the energization time output from the energization time circuit to the driver, the optimum energization time suitable for the paper at that time can be set. A printing operation is performed.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. Figure 2 shows an outline of the basic configuration.

First, a printer main body 12 is provided which is connected via an interface 11 to a host computer 10 that outputs print data and print command signals. Inside this printer body 12 is a CPU 13 that controls the entire printer.
is built-in. A dot head driver 15 for driving a dot head 14 equipped with a plurality of needles is connected to the CPU 13. or,
An energization time circuit 16 is provided which operates under the control of the CPU 13 and outputs energization time data to the dot head driver 15.

A plurality of (n) switches SW1 to SWn are connected to the energization time circuit 16, and the energization output to the dot head driver 15 depends on which switch SW1 to SWn is turned on. The time data can be switched to multiple types with different types. That is, the energization time data output from the energization time circuit 16 is not fixed, but can be changed according to the operation of the switches SW1 to SWn. And a switch SW like this
, -SWn are arranged in a concave portion formed on the outside of the printer main body 12, for example, on the back side, and are grouped together by a switch box 17 so as to be operable from the outside, as shown in FIG.

In such a configuration, the printing operation is basically performed in the same manner as in the case of FIG. First, a print command signal and print data are sent from the host computer 10 to the printer main body 1.
2, the CPU 13 takes in these signals and data and performs necessary conversion processing and the like. The converted print data is output to the dot head driver 15. on the other hand,
The signal for operating the energization time circuit 16 is also sent to the CPU 13.
The energizing time circuit 1G operates, and the energizing time data for driving the needle is output to the dot head driver 15.

At this time, according to this embodiment, a plurality of time switching setting switches SW, ~SWn are connected to the energization time circuit 16, and the energization time is changed depending on which switch SW1 to SWn is turned on. . Therefore, the operator can set the optimum power-on time by turning on any one of these switches SW1 to SWn in advance, depending on the number of sheets of paper used for printing, paper thickness, paper quality, etc. becomes. For example, if multiple sheets of paper are used and the paper is thick, turn on a switch that increases the energization time to increase the impact force from the needle, or If the thickness is small, a switch for shortening the energization time may be turned on so that the impact force may be weak. The operation of the switches SW to 5w01 can be easily performed because these switches are exposed outside the printer main body 12.

Therefore, when the energization time circuit 16 receives an operation command signal from the CPU 13, the energization time circuit 16 automatically switches the operator's switches SW1 to SW1 to S in advance.
Data on the energization time set by the Wn operation is output to the dot/rad driver 15. Then, the second dot head driver 15 combines the print data from the CPU 13 and the energization time data from the energization time circuit 16,
Print data is output to the dot head 14 for the energization time data. As a result, the necessary needles of the dot head 14 perform impact operations corresponding to the energization time data to print on the paper.

According to such printing, the general time for driving the needle by the dot head driver 15 is not a fixed fixed time, but is variably set in advance by the operator's operation of switches SW1 to SWn according to the situation at that time. Since the printing condition is based on the number of sheets of paper used,
It can be optimized depending on the paper thickness, paper quality, etc., resulting in high quality printing with no printing shading. Furthermore, even in the case of thin paper, impact noise can be reduced by suppressing the impact force.

By the way, such an energizing time circuit 16 can be constructed using, for example, an energizing time generator I Cl 8 (I CHA 17555) manufactured by Hitachi, Ltd., as shown in FIG. This energization time generation ICl3 is connected to the power supply Vcc, and is also connected to a discharging capacitor C8, a resistor R for pulling up the output from the output terminal, a capacitor 02 for controlling the voltage from the power supply Vcc, and the like. The CPU 13 is connected to an input terminal. On the other hand, the switch SW,
~SWn are connected in parallel with each other between the power supply Vcc and the discharge terminal (discharge) of the energization time generator ICl3, and both switches SW and -5Wn are set to be in series with the discharge capacitor C1. has been done.

Further, resistors R1 to Rn are connected in series to these switches SW1 to SWn, respectively, so that the energization time can be set in different states by having different resistance values.

According to this, the current from the power supply Vcc flows only through the turned-on series circuits among the switches SW to SWn, for example, according to the state shown in FIG. 3, only through the circuit of the resistor R2 of the switch SW. As a result, the threshold voltage value corresponding to the switch is determined, and the second threshold voltage value determines the energization time data C18 that is output to the dot head driver 15 when the drive command signal from the CPU 13 is received. It changes.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the present invention is provided with a plurality of switches for setting the energization time to a plurality of different types by the energization time circuit, so that the operator can adjust the energization time according to the number of sheets of paper used for printing, paper thickness, paper quality, etc. By switching and operating the switch in advance, printing can be performed with the energization time variably set to apply the optimal impact force, eliminating the possibility of shading in the print depending on the paper condition. It is possible to achieve high printing quality, and there is no increase in printing noise even when using thin paper, and since such a switch is located outside the printer body, FM variable operation of energization time? ii
It is something that can be done.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 3 show an embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view, FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram, FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing a specific example, and FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram showing a conventional example. 12... Printer body, 14... Dot head, 1
5... Driver, 16... Energization time circuit, SW1~
SWn...Switch No. 1 /1 Figure J,, Figure 3

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a dot printer equipped with a driver for driving a dot head and an energization time circuit for setting an energization time for driving a needle by the driver, a plurality of switches are provided for setting the energization time to a plurality of different types by the energization time circuit. A dot printer characterized in that it is arranged outside the printer body.