JPH0596768A - Thermal printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve printing speed by a method wherein a plurality of thermal line heads arranged in a paper feed direction, a dividing means which divides printing information of one page according to the thermal line head, and a printing control means which prints similarly with a plurality of the thermal line heads are provided. CONSTITUTION:Before paper is set, thermal line heads H1-Hn are arranged at required positions. Then, arranging positions of the line heads H1-Hn, printing information, etc., are inputted in an input part 1 to set paper. A CPU 6 divides printing information of one page vertically according to arranged positions of the line heads H1-Hn, makes the printing information divided according to respective line heads H1-Hn flow out successively from a top dot line of each divided area, performs printing simultaneously with the line heads H1-Hn and printing is ended. A rear end of printing ending paper is sent to a cutter position. After cutting with a cutter K, the paper is sent back.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thermal printer for performing high speed printing with a thermal line head.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the case of using a plurality of heads,
There is a serial head (horizontal movement type head), which is a print area divided horizontally and is structurally different from the present invention. As for the thermal line heads, some of them are arranged in the front and back, and are provided in the color printer. However, the plurality of thermal line heads provided in the color printer can print different colors over the entire surface, that is, the same. It is done in the area, the print information is divided in the vertical direction, the divided print information is printed at the same time by a plurality of thermal line heads arranged in front and back,
There is no idea to increase the printing speed.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to enable high speed printing by using a thermal line head in a thermal printer.

[0004]

In a thermal line printer, a plurality of movable thermal line heads arranged forward and backward with respect to a sheet feeding direction, and arrangement positions of the plurality of thermal line heads are described below with dividing means and printing. A means for inputting to the control means, a dividing means for dividing one page of print information corresponding to the position of the thermal line head, and a print control for simultaneously printing the divided print information by the corresponding plurality of thermal line heads. Means were provided.

[0005]

[Function] A plurality of line heads are provided to be movable back and forth,
By arranging the line head at a desired position and providing a means for dividing the print information for one page in correspondence with the position, for example, N line heads are arranged at the tip position of the area to be printed. Then, the print information of one page is vertically divided into N areas corresponding to the above arrangement positions, and the print information is simultaneously printed in the areas corresponding to each of the N line heads. By doing so, the printing speed of one page becomes faster, and high-speed printing becomes possible.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a main part of a drive unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which N thermal line heads are arranged in front and rear. In FIG. 1, H _{1 to} H _n are thermal line heads, each having a length capable of covering the entire width of the paper that can be used, and each head is held so that it can be set at any position. .. R _{1 to} R _n are platen rollers facing each thermal line head. One head H _i and the corresponding platen roller R _i are mounted on the same mount, and the mount slides back and forth along the guides on both sides of the printer body. Position guides are engraved on the guide. One timing belt T is stretched in the front-rear direction on one side of the printer. A gear G _i attached to the shaft of each platen roller R _i meshes with this timing belt T, and the timing belt T is a gear G of the roller drive motor M.
It has been meshed with. With this structure, the integrated structure of the thermal line head H _i and the platen roller R _i can arbitrarily change the front and rear positions, and at any position, the platen rollers can simultaneously rotate at the same speed to feed the paper. .. F is a feed roller, and platen roller R
Similar to _i , the timing belt T and the gear G _F mesh with each other. S is a printing paper, which is a thermal paper, but can also be used as a thermal transfer printer by using a thermal transfer ribbon. The same effect can be obtained in either case. K is a cutter. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the control unit. 1 is an input part,
It is a keyboard for inputting the arrangement position of the line head, printing information, label length of printing paper, and the like. A storage unit 2 stores various information input by the input unit 1. Reference numeral 3 denotes a roller driving unit that drives a feed roller and the like. Four
Is a cutter driving unit. A CPU 5 controls the drive of the print controller 6 while dividing print information or driving the feed roller according to various input information.

The control operation will be described. First, before loading paper, placing a thermal line head H ₁ to H _n at a desired position. For example, if the position of the line head is m
When setting in m units, attach an index to the line head,
A scale in mm units is provided on the holder of the line head, and the print area of each line head is set by the scale value indicated by the index of each line head. As an example, the print length is 0
And ~x _4, the first line head H ₁ is 0, the second line head H ₂ is x _1, the third line head H ₃ is to have placed on x _2, print area of the first line head H ₁ 0 ~ X
_1, the printing region of the second line head H ₂ is x ₁ ~x _2, print area of the third line head H ₃ becomes x ₂ ~x _3. In this case, the values of x ₁ , x _2, etc. are set in the blank area where the pattern does not exist over the entire width of the original document printed by the operator. With the input unit 1, the line heads H _{1 to} H
Input the _n position and print information. Load paper. CPU6 is divided corresponding to the arrangement position of the line head H ₁ to H _n print information of one page in the vertical direction, the print information is divided to correspond to each thermal line head H ₁ to H _n, each sequentially flows out from the first dot row of the divided regions, sent to each of the thermal line head H ₁ to H _n, simultaneously performs printing in each thermal line head H ₁ to H _n, and terminates the printing. The trailing edge of the print-finished paper is fed to the cutter position, cut by the cutter K, the paper is moved back, the next print is set at the print start position, and printing of the next print is started. In the above-described embodiment, the thermal line heads are arranged manually and the arrangement position is input to the storage unit 2 by the input unit 1. However, by setting the print area of each thermal line head first, each thermal line head is set. The head may be moved and arranged at the tip position of the input print area by automatic control.

[0008]

According to the present invention, the printing speed is greatly improved by simultaneously printing one page by a plurality of thermal line heads arranged in front and back.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a layout diagram of a thermal line head according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a control unit in the above embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

S Paper H ₁ to H _n thermal line head R ₁ to R _n platen roller G ₁ ~G _n gear T timing belt F feed roller M roller drive motor K cutter 1 input unit 2 memory unit 3 roller driver 4 cutter driving unit 5 Print control unit 6 CPU

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Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of thermal line heads arranged in front of and behind the sheet feeding direction, a dividing means for dividing one page of print information corresponding to the position of the thermal line head, and the divided print information. A thermal printer comprising a print control means for simultaneously printing with a plurality of corresponding thermal line heads. 2. The thermal printer according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of thermal line heads are movably provided. 3. A thermal printer according to claim 1, further comprising means for inputting information on the arrangement positions of the plurality of thermal line heads to a print dividing means and a print control means. 4. A plurality of thermal line heads arranged front and back with respect to a paper feeding direction, a dividing means for dividing one page of print information into front and rear, and a plurality of thermal lines corresponding to the divided print information. A thermal printer comprising: means for designating each head position of a line head; and print control means for simultaneously printing the divided print information by the corresponding plurality of thermal line heads.