JPS61193876A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a printing head from performing a printing action in the absence of a printing medium, by providing a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of a printing medium, at a tip part of the printing head. CONSTITUTION:A member 11 provided with a light-emitting element 12 and a light-receiving element 13 is fixed to the printing head 3, and the outer periphery of a platen 2 is coated with a black-colored rubber material. Since the printing medium 1 is white in color, whether or not the medium 1 is present at a place opposed to the tip part 3A of the head 3 can be detected by a signal consisting of reflected light E. A detection signal from the light-receiving element 13 is outputted to a controlling part through an amplifying circuit, and when the tip part 3A comes off the range of the printing medium 1, outputting of printing data from a buffer memory part is cut off.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a printer device that performs predetermined printing on a print medium that is transported along a platen by a print head, and particularly relates to The present invention relates to a printer device configured to detect whether or not there is a print medium at a certain position.

The printer device is configured such that printing is performed by positioning a print head fixed to a carriage that is moved in space at a predetermined location on a print medium that is transported by a transport mechanism along the outer periphery of a platen.

Since such print media have a predetermined width depending on the form to be created, general printer devices are designed to be able to set print media with different width dimensions.

Therefore, in the printing process, it is desired that printing be performed without waste in the printable print area that is restricted by the width of the set print medium.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, the configuration is as shown in the configuration diagram of FIG. 4.

The print head 3 is fixed to a carriage 4 that is guided by a guide shaft 5 and moved in the direction of arrow C, and is disposed so as to face the platen 2.

On the other hand, the print medium 1 is set on the platen 2 so as to be sandwiched between the guide rollers 6, and
The print medium 1 is configured to be transported in the direction of arrow A by rotation in this direction.

Therefore, under the control of the control section 7, the carriage 4 is driven via the carriage drive section 9, the platen 2 is driven via the platen drive section 8, and the buffer memory section 10 is driven.
The print data D input to the print head 3 is outputted to the print head 3 to perform predetermined print processing.

The printing medium 1 can be as small as width B1 or as large as width B2 as shown by the dotted line depending on the purpose. Print data D suitable for medium 1 is edited.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, with such a configuration, there is a problem in that the degree of freedom in print output is lost due to restrictions on the set number of digits, and furthermore, the print data D must be edited each time depending on the width of the print medium 1. .

If the print data D is not edited to fit the width of the print medium 1 to be printed out, for example, if the print data D is edited to fit the large width B2 of the print medium 1, the width becomes smaller. When printing on the print medium 1 of B1, when the print head 3 reaches the position indicated by the dotted line, blank printing occurs, causing damage to the outer periphery of the platen 2 and the ink ribbon provided on the print head 3. was.

[Means for solving problems]

The above-mentioned problem is solved by the printer device according to the present invention, in which the print head is provided with a detection means for detecting whether the leading end of the print head to be printed is located on the outer periphery of the platen or on the surface of the print medium. solved by.

[Effect]

That is, a sensor is provided at the tip of the print head to detect whether or not there is a print medium.

As a result, if there is a print medium in the area to be printed, the printing process can be performed, and if there is no print medium, the print data can be canted or line feed can be performed.

Therefore, dry printing of the print head as in the conventional case can be prevented.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be explained in detail below with reference to an embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1(a) is a side view of the main part, FIG. 1(b) is a perspective view, and FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram.

Note that the same reference numerals indicate the same objects throughout the figures.

As shown in FIG. 1(a), a member 11 is fixed to the print head 3, and a light emitting element 12 and a light receiving element 13 are attached to the member 11.

With this configuration, the outer periphery of the platen 2 is coated with a black rubber material, while the printing medium 1 is white, so the signal generated by the reflection of the light E causes it to be opposed to the tip 3A of the printing hand 3. Although the print medium 1 is present at the location, it can be detected. For example, as shown in (b), if the vertical print line 14 deviates from the print medium 1, it can be easily detected.

Therefore, the detection signal S of the light receiving element 13 can be formed so as to be sent to the control section 7 via the amplifier circuit 15 as shown in the configuration diagram of FIG. 2, and the other configurations can be the same as described above.

By forming it in this way, when the leading end 3A comes off from the print medium 1, it becomes possible to cut off the output of the print data D from the buffer memory section 10. Alternatively, such a detection signal S may be sent to the carriage drive section 9 to perform a line feed.

Therefore, even if the print data D that is not adapted to the width of the print medium 1 is used as described above, blank printing of the print head can be prevented by cutting the output of the print data D or starting a new line.

Furthermore, as shown in the plan view of FIG.
It is also possible to fix members 11 on the four sides of the top, bottom, left and right of the print medium 1, and to install a light emitting element 12 and a light receiving element 13 on each member 11. It has the advantage of being able to be detected.

Incidentally, reflective sensors may be used as the light emitting element 12 and the light receiving element 13, and the same effect can be obtained.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention is formed so that a sensor for detecting outliers is provided at the tip of the print head.

This eliminates the need to edit print data according to the width of the print medium (print processing) as in the past, making effective use of the print surface and preventing damage to the platen and ink ribbon. This has great practical effects.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 show an embodiment according to the present invention, in which FIG. 1(a) is a side view of the main part, FIG. 1(b) is a perspective view, and FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram. FIG. 3 is a plan view of another embodiment. FIG. 4 shows a conventional configuration diagram. In the figure, 1 is a print medium, and 2 is a platen. 3 is the print head, 4 is the carriage. 5 is a guide shaft, 6 is a guide roller. 7 is a control unit, and 8 is a platen drive unit. 9 is a carrier drive section, and 10 is a buffer memory section. 11 is a member, 12 is a light emitting element. 13 is a light receiving element, 14 is a printing line. 15 indicates an amplifier circuit. a) Brown/L] $2 Cause

Claims (1)

[Claims] A printer device comprising a platen, a carriage that moves opposite to the platen, and a print head fixed to the carriage, and performs predetermined printing on a print medium that is transported along the platen, the printer device comprising: A printer device characterized in that the print head is provided with a detection means for detecting whether the leading end of the print head to be printed is located on the outer periphery of the platen or on the surface of the print medium.