JPS6398477A - Printer device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable paper detection in lateral directions and enable use of various papers different in lateral length, by providing a printing head with a sensor comprising an element for projecting light on a paper and an element for receiving the light reflected from the paper, and discriminating the presence of absense of the paper in a direction perpendicular to the feeding direction of the paper. CONSTITUTION:Before the start of a printing operation, a printing head 1 is moved laterally, and a left reflection-type sensor 6a is brought to the leftmost end. When a paper 4 is present at the leftmost end, a paper-detecting operation is performed by a light-emitting diode 10 and a phototransistor 11 to detect the presence of the paper, and a left-side enable signal is sent to a controlling part 15. Next, when a right reflectiont-type sensor 6b is brought to the rightmost end and the paper 4 is present there, a detection signal indicating the presence of the paper causes a right side enable signal to be sent to the controlling part 15. Which the left-side and right- side enable signals received, the printing operation is enabled, and a predetermined printing operation is started. By the addition of the function of detecting the paper in the lateral directions, it is made possible to avoid printing on papers other than prescribed papers, to swiftly provide information on the validity of the paper size and to contrive a higher efficiency of printing operations.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a printer device, and particularly to a printer device with an improved paper detection function.

(Prior Art) Printers are the most commonly used hard copy devices for data processing equipment such as computers. Although there are a wide variety of printer devices depending on differences in print formation, etc., all of them can be said to be the same in that paper is set in the device and print is formed with a print head.

Generally, this type of printer device has the print head (print head) on the left side on the rod (rail).

The paper is wound around a rotatable platen that can be moved to the right, and the rotating motion of the platen feeds the paper vertically to feed a predetermined portion of the paper into the printing section, that is, the print head, and the print head is activated. It is moved on the rod, ie, fed horizontally, to form prints at desired vertical and horizontal positions. Generally speaking, a vertical paper sheet detection function is added to such a basic configuration. This uses an optical reflective sensor to detect the presence or absence of the end of a vertically long sheet of paper or the presence or absence of paper, and detects when the paper is out and prevents the print head from directly hitting the platen. There is.

Printers with such functions are effective for regular paper machines and roll paper machines, but they are not suitable for non-roll paper machines, so-called personal computers, word processors, etc. Due to the paper machine and the use of paper of various sizes, the vertical paper detection function alone has not solved the above-mentioned problems such as detection of paper outage and direct impact of the print head on the platen.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) As described above, in conventional printer devices, when sheets of paper with a wide variety of lateral dimensions are used, paper runs out or the print head hits the platen directly. This caused some problems.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to be able to detect paper in the horizontal direction,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a printer device that can use sheets of various sizes in the lateral direction and that does not allow a print head to directly impact a platen.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention is characterized by taking the following measures in order to solve the above problems and achieve the object. That is, in the present invention, the paper is fed in a predetermined direction, and the left/right direction is moved on the rod provided at right angles to the paper feeding direction.
In a printer device that prints on the paper with the print head moving to the right, the print head is provided with a sensor consisting of a light emitting element that emits light onto the paper and a light receiving element that receives the reflected light. The present invention is configured to include means for determining the presence or absence of paper in a direction perpendicular to the paper feeding direction based on the output of the sensor.

(Function) In this way, in the present invention, by providing an optical paper determination sensor in the print head, it is possible to detect the presence or absence of paper in the direction perpendicular to the paper feeding direction, and paper can be saved. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent print head failure.

(Embodiment) An embodiment of the printer device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a plan view of essential parts of the device of this embodiment, and FIG. 2 is an electrical circuit diagram of the reflective sensor in FIG. 1.

In FIG. 1, the print head 1 is movable left and right (laterally) on two rods (rails) 2a*2b. A platen 3 that feeds paper (in the vertical direction) is arranged parallel to a and 2b, and the paper 4 set on the platen 3 is driven by the rotation of this platen 3 and the horizontal drive of the print head 1. The print head 1 can form prints at desired vertical and horizontal positions.

A substantially C-shaped sensor housing 5 is attached to the print head 1, and reflective sensors 6a and 6b are respectively attached to the left and right positions of the sensor housing 5 with the print head 1 in the center.

In FIG. 2, the reflective sensor 6a (or 6b) has a light emitting diode 10 as a light emitting element and a light receiving element as a photodetector so as to project and receive light onto the surface of the paper 4. A transistor 11 is arranged.

The light emitting diode 10 emits modulated light of an audible band frequency by amplifying the oscillation output of an oscillator 12 at an audible band frequency and applying the amplified signal through an amplifier 13. The phototransistor 11 amplifies the received light output through an amplifier 14 and inputs the amplified light to the control section 15. Here, when the output from the phototransistor 11 has reached a predetermined signal level, the control unit 15 detects that the paper 4 is present at the position of the stylus reflective sensor 6a (or 6b), and The detection signal is given to a printer control system (not shown) as a print operation permission signal.

Next, the operation of this embodiment configured as described above will be described. That is, before the printing operation starts, the print head 1 moves left and right, so that the left reflective sensor 6a first
When reaches the leftmost edge, if paper 4 exists here,
A paper detection operation is performed by the light emitting diode 10° phototransistor 11, and a left side permission signal is sent to the control unit 15 when paper is present. Next, when the right reflection type sensor 6b reaches the rightmost end, if paper 4 is present at this point, a paper presence detection signal is sent to the control section 15 as a right side permission signal.

By receiving these left and right permission signals, the printing operation becomes possible and a predetermined printing operation is performed.

According to this embodiment as described above, the following effects are achieved.

According to this embodiment, by adding a horizontal paper detection function in addition to the normal vertical paper detection function, printing on non-standard paper is prevented, and the operator can quickly check whether the paper size is valid or not. Notification of invalidity improves the efficiency of printing work and prevents invalid printing on non-standard paper, leading to paper savings.

In fact, since the control system itself will be able to grasp all the information regarding the paper shape, the automation of printing work will be advanced. Furthermore, since direct impact of the print head 1 on the platen 4 is prevented, damage to the equipment is prevented.

In the above embodiment, the left end and right end of the paper 3 are detected, but by providing a marker on the paper 3 in advance and detecting this marker, it is possible to detect only the inside or outside of this marker. It may be configured so that it can be printed.

In addition, various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[Effects of the Invention] As detailed above, the present invention uses a print head that feeds paper in a predetermined direction and moves left and right on a rod provided at right angles to the paper feeding direction. In the printer device for printing on the paper, the print head is provided with a sensor consisting of a light emitting element that emits light onto the paper and a light receiving element that receives the reflected light. This configuration includes means for determining the presence or absence of paper in a direction perpendicular to the paper.

According to this configuration, by providing the print head with an optical paper determination sensor, it is possible to detect the presence or absence of paper in the direction perpendicular to the paper feeding direction, saving paper and preventing possible print head failure. Therefore, it is possible to provide a printer device that can prevent such problems.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of an embodiment of a printer apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the reflective sensor and electric circuit in FIG. 1. 1...Print head, 2a, 2b...rod, 3...
paper, 4... platen, 5... housing, 6a,
6b... Reflective sensor. Applicant's representative Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue Figure 1 Figure 2

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a printer device that prints on the paper using a print head that feeds the paper in a predetermined direction and moves left and right on a rod provided perpendicular to the paper feed direction, the print head is configured to print on the paper. A sensor comprising a light projecting element that emits light and a light receiving element that receives the reflected light is provided, and means is provided for determining the presence or absence of paper in a direction perpendicular to the paper feeding direction based on the output of this sensor. printer device.