JPS63257676A - Service life detector for ink ribbon - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable automatic detection of the service life of an endless ink ribbon, by outputting a ribbon service life signal when the data on counts for the printing times of a printing head overcomes the data on memories for limit printing times of specific color. CONSTITUTION:Limit printing times G2, G3, G4 of ribbon for colors A, B, C are stored in respective memories 2, 3, 4. Since printing times when a ribbon of color A is actually employed equals to outputting times of print command signal K5, a counter 5 counts the print command signal K5 while counters 6, 7 count print command signals K6, K7 respectively as actual printing times for the colors B and C. When a control command signal S for specifying the color of the ribbon A, for example, is outputting from control section 1, printing times of character are compared with a limit printing times G5 stored in the memory 2 by means of a comparator 8. When they are matched, a ribbon service life signal Z is outputted from a gate circuit 11 to the control section 1 so as to identify expiration of life span of ribbon even if life span has not expired for other colors.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an ink ribbon lifespan detection device, and particularly to an inkribbon lifespan detection device suitable for endless type color ink ribbons.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, the lifespan of endless ink ribbons has been determined primarily by visual inspection by an operator to determine whether or not they can be used continuously.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, in the above conventional example, the overall density of printed characters etc. becomes thinner as it is used, whereas
It has not been determined at what stage the replacement should take place, resulting in the inconvenience of inconsistent print quality.

In this case, especially in the case of multicolor color ink ribbons, since the brightness differs depending on the color, it is extremely difficult to visually recognize the print density at the same level for each color. For this reason, there has been a problem that the printing quality changes and deteriorates over time, especially when it comes to color printing.

[Purpose of the invention]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an ink ribbon life detecting device that can improve the disadvantages of the prior art and can automatically detect the life of an endless type ink ribbon.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention includes a control section for driving the print head, a memory that is controlled by the control section and stores the limit number of prints for a specific color in advance, and a memory that operates under the control of the control section and counts the number of times the print head prints. a comparison circuit that constantly compares each count information of the memory and the counter, and that immediately detects when the count information of the counter exceeds the count information of the memory and outputs a predetermined ribbon life signal. It has a configuration that includes: This is intended to achieve the above objective.

[Embodiments of the invention]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

This example uses a three-color ink ribbon (
2) is used. The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 includes a control unit 1 for driving the print head, and three memories 2, 3, . ．． 4, and three counters 5, 6.4 corresponding to each memory 2.3.4 for counting the number of times of printing by the print head for each color.
7.

Three comparison circuits 8, 9.10 are provided corresponding to each of these memories 2, 3.4 and each counter 5, 6.7.

Each of these three comparison circuits 8, 9.10 is connected to the memory 2, 3.
A function that constantly compares each information of 4 and counters 5, 6, and 7 for each color, and immediately detects when the count information of the counter exceeds the count information of the memory and outputs a predetermined signal. have. Each comparison circuit 8.9
The output signal of .degree.10 is sent to the gate circuit 11. This gate circuit 11 is composed of an OR gate, and when a predetermined signal is output from any one of the comparison circuits 8, 9 and 10, it immediately outputs this as a ribbon life signal. There is. This ribbon life signal is sent to the control section 1.

A counter selector 2o is provided between the print head control section 1 and each counter 5, 6.7. This counter selector 20 converts the print command signal K outputted from the control unit 1 for use in driving the print head into a print command K for each color.
s, Kb, to? A predetermined counter 5 corresponding to
, 6.7 is equipped with a sending function. A control command signal S specifying the color of the ribbon is sent from the control unit 1 to the counter selector 2°. In response to this control command signal S, the counter selector 2° is configured to send the print commands Ks, Kb, Kt for each color to the corresponding predetermined counters 5.6°7, as described above.

A reset circuit 30 is provided between the counters 5, 6.7 and the control unit 1, and is activated each time a new ink ribbon is loaded to reset the contents of each counter 5, 6.7. It has become.

The control unit 1 includes a calculation unit IA, a keyboard IA, and an operation panel I.
C is also provided, by which information such as the limit number of times of printing can be set. Further, the control section 1 is also provided with a ribbon life display section ID.

Next, the overall operation of the above embodiment will be explained.

First, for each color of the color ribbon, the limit printing number G, , G, , G4, which is the ink life, is stored in the memory 2 and
3.4 each of the above t@.

The limit number of prints G2 for color A ribbon is stored in memory 2.

The limit number of prints G3 for color B is stored in the memory 3, and the limit number of prints 64 for color C is stored in the memory 4, respectively.

On the other hand, when ribbon of color A is actually used, the number of times the print head prints is equal to the number of times the print command signal is output. Therefore, the counter 5 counts the print command signal, and similarly for color B, the counter 6 counts the color C.
For each, the counter 7 counts 6 or 2 in the print command signal as the actual number of times of printing.

When the control command signal S specifying, for example, the color of the ribbon A is output from the total control unit 1, the counter selector 20
The counter 5 of the ribbon color A corresponding to the control command signal S is designated. Next, when the control unit 1 outputs a print command signal to execute printing, the previously specified counter 5 is counted up to count the number of characters to be printed. A comparator 8 compares the counted value H1 in the counter 5, that is, the number of printed characters and the limit number of printed characters G stored in the memory 2, and if the two numbers match, a ribbon life signal is sent to the control unit 1. Z is output from the gate circuit 11. It operates similarly for the other colors B and C.

When the control unit 1 receives the ribbon life signal Z, it determines that the ribbon has reached its lifespan, even if the colors other than the color that has reached its ink lifespan have not yet reached their ink lifespan, and sends a signal to the calculation unit IA, operation panel IC, etc., and displays the display unit ID. Display this at. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing that ribbon color B has reached the end of its ink life, and that the other colors A and C have not reached their ink lives. As a result, even if ribbon colors A and C have not reached their ink lifespans, a lifespan signal for this multicolored ribbon is output and displayed externally.

Since the counters 5, 6.7 and the memory 2.3.4 are non-volatile, the number of prints of each color of the ink ribbon already counted Hs, Hb, H? remain even when the power is turned off, and the limit printing times for each color t21Gz, G3,
There is no need to set G4 again.

Further, a reset circuit 30 is connected to the counter 5.6.7, and a reset signal Re is input from the control unit 1 to the reset circuit 3o in response to a reset command from the calculation unit IA, keyboard IB, or operation panel IC. , counter 5
．． 6.7 can be reset. Therefore, it is possible to easily set the number of printed characters of each color to "zero" for the ink ribbon replacement rate.

In addition, although the above-mentioned embodiment disclosed an example about a color ink ribbon of three colors, it is also applicable to a color ink ribbon of one color, two colors, or four or more colors. In this case, the counter selector 20 and gate circuit 11 may be omitted when the present invention is applied to a ribbon of one color. In addition, counters 5, 6 . ．． 7 and memory 2,
Regarding 3.4, one piece each is sufficient.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an unprecedented and excellent ink ribbon life detection device that can detect the life of an endless type ink ribbon with high precision.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a three-color ink ribbon, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the lifespan of each color of the ink ribbon. 1... Control unit, 2, 3.4... Memory, 5, 6° 7... Counter, 8.9.10...
... Comparison circuit, 11 ... Gate circuit, 20
...Counter selector.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A control unit for driving the print head, a memory that is controlled by this control unit and that specifies and stores the limit number of prints for a particular color in advance, and a memory that operates under the control of the control unit and controls the number of prints of the print head. A counter is provided for counting, and the memory and each number information of the counter are constantly compared, and when the number information of the counter exceeds the number information of the memory, this is immediately detected and a predetermined ribbon life signal is output. An ink ribbon life detection device characterized by comprising a comparison circuit. (2) a control unit for driving the print head; a plurality of memories controlled by the control unit to store the limit number of prints for each color corresponding to the multicolor ink ribbon; A plurality of counters are provided to count the number of times of printing by each color, and the information in the memory and the counter are constantly compared for each color, and when the number of times information on the counter exceeds the number of times information on the memory. A plurality of comparison circuits are provided to immediately detect this and output a predetermined signal, and when a signal from at least one of the comparison circuits is output, a multicolor ink ribbon life signal is immediately output. A counter selector is provided between each of the counters and the control unit to separate the print command signals outputted from the control unit for driving the print head for each color and send them to the corresponding predetermined counters. An ink ribbon life detection device characterized by: