KR20030028807A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

In the present invention, the projection 2a is brought into contact with the front end 201 of the media 2 to be meandered in the state of entering the media conveyance path 4, and the media 2 is directed toward the projection 21a. The press roller 5 which is idle in the direction of conveying is installed. The stopper 21 and the pressure roller 5 are interlocked with each other so as to move closer to or away from the medium, and when the meandering amount of the medium after meandering is out of the allowable range, the pressure roller 5 is further transferred to the medium conveying path. Enter deeply. On the upstream side of the opening part 12 provided in a part of the medium conveyance part 4, the front end is rotatable so that the upstream guide 13 which has the inclination part 13a toward the outer side of the medium conveyance path can be rotated. To place. Further, on the downstream side of the opening 12, the downstream guide 14 having the inclined portion 14a with its tip facing outward of the medium transport path is rotatably disposed.

Description

Printer {PRINTER}

There are printers, which are output devices of personal computers used in general homes, as well as bankbook vouchers used in financial institutions. In these printers, a medium inserted by manual operation or a medium set in advance in a predetermined storage cassette is accepted and conveyed to the printing unit. The conveyance guide which conveys this medium has sufficient area compared with the thickness of a medium in the thickness direction of a medium, and it may take in a printer by correcting meandering of a medium. These techniques are disclosed by Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-247356, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-309925, and the like. These techniques make it possible to print at the desired print position on the medium.

In addition, in the printing portion, in order for the printing head to print onto the medium, it is necessary to provide an opening in a direction crossing the conveyance guide. For this reason, since the position regulation of the printing surface side of a medium cannot be performed just under an opening, a medium may protrude suddenly from an opening part at the time of conveyance, and conveyance jam may generate | occur | produce. As a method for solving these failures, there is a technique disclosed by Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-20958, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-16464, and the like. This has an auxiliary guide (guide shoe) as a guide when the medium passes through the opening, and relates to a conveyance control method, which prevents conveyance jams when the front end of the medium passes through the opening. . In the apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-183150, a shutter is provided in the conveyance path of the medium, and when the medium contacts the shutter, the meandering of the medium is corrected by a plurality of calibration rollers which slide in contact with the medium. have.

The technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-247356 aligns the long drift by bringing the roller into contact with the long drift and using the friction force between the roller and the long drift to advance the long drift slightly, and then hit the protruding plate. . However, since the means for conveying the bill and the actuators for driving the protruding plate are provided separately, there are problems such as an increase in the number of parts and an increase in power consumption. Moreover, in the prior art of JP-A-63-183150, since individual calibration rollers and the like are provided, the number of parts increases and the control is often complicated.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-20958 discloses that the width of the medium is detected, or information about the width of the medium is stored in accordance with a key input, and the position of the print head on which the guide block is arranged is controlled in an optimal positional relationship. It is. Therefore, an operation for detecting the width of the medium is required, and processing time is required, and there is a cumbersome operation for key input. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-16464 discloses complicated control because a left and right movement operation in the space direction of the carriage is required.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a printer which is easy to set a medium and does not cause conveyance jams without an increase in the size of the apparatus due to an increase in the number of parts.

(Summary of invention)

In order to solve the above problems, the printer according to the present invention has a medium conveying path for conveying a medium to be printed, and a stopper disposed in a part of the medium conveying path, and causes the medium to hit the stopper so that After correcting the meandering, positional information indicating the position of the end portion of the medium in the medium conveying path is generated, and printing to the medium is controlled according to the positional information.

In the printer, the stopper is movable to enter or evacuate with respect to the medium conveying path.

In the printer, an end portion of the medium is at least a front end and a side end of the medium conveying the medium conveyance path.

Another printer according to the present invention is a media conveyance path for conveying a medium to be printed, a medium conveying means for conveying a medium in a first direction in the medium conveying path, and a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction. Printing head traveling means for traveling in a second direction a head carrier equipped with a plurality of media detecting sensors arranged at predetermined intervals, meandering correction means for correcting the meandering of the medium, and a printing head for printing on the medium. When at least one of the plurality of medium detection sensors detects the medium, the meandering means is operated, and then the meandering amount of the medium is measured by the medium conveying means and the at least one medium detecting sensor. Thus, when the amount of meandering is within the allowable range, the printing head driving means is operated.

Further, in the printer, an opening is provided in a part of the medium conveying path and extends in a second direction, an auxiliary guide provided in the head carrier, covering a part of the opening, and provided in the head carrier, And a sensor for detecting the side end of the medium, and when the printing head traveling means is operated, the medium travels along the opening while facing the medium conveying path through the head carrier or the opening, so that the sensor A side end portion is detected.

In the printer, the meandering correction means enters a part of the medium conveying path and contacts a front end of the medium, and enters a part of the medium conveying path, and conveys the medium toward the stopper. It characterized in that it has a roller that rotates so that the stopper and the roller interlock with each other, enter the medium conveying path, and evacuate from the medium conveying path.

In the printer, the head carrier has a separate sensor, and the sensor reads the information recorded on the medium.

In the printer, the stopper is characterized in that it has a plurality of protrusions arranged in the second direction and facing the rollers.

In the printer, the entry amount when the roller enters the medium conveying path is controlled.

In the printer, after the meandering correction means is operated, if the meandering amount of the medium is outside the allowable range, the entry amount of the roller is increased, and the meandering correction means is operated again.

Another printer according to the present invention includes an opening provided in a part of a medium conveying path extending in a first direction and conveying a medium to be printed, extending in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction; A head carrier equipped with a print head for printing the medium through the opening, and a print head traveling means for traveling the head carrier in the second direction, and provided upstream of the medium conveying path with respect to the opening; A first guide, the first guide being rotatable and having a tip portion extending toward the downstream side while being inclined outwardly of the medium conveying path, the first guide being provided on the downstream side of the medium conveying path with respect to the opening; And a second guide, the second guide being rotatable and being inclined outward of the medium conveying path toward the upstream side. It is characterized by having an extended tip.

In the printer, when the medium passes the opening from the upstream to the downstream direction, only the first guide is rotated to enter the inside of the medium conveying path.

In the printer, when the head carrier is at one end in the second direction on the medium conveying path, the first guide is inclined inward of the medium conveying path, and the second of the medium conveying path is provided. And at the other end of the direction, the second guide rotates to enter the inside of the medium conveying path.

In the printer, when the medium is conveyed, the stop position of the printing head traveling means is selected by the engaged position of the front end or the rear end of the medium.

In the printer, when the head carrier is not located at either end of the second direction in the media conveyance path, both the first guide and the second guide enter the inside of the media conveyance path. It is characterized by rotating.

The other printer which concerns on this invention is rotatably installed in the upstream of the said medium conveyance path with respect to the conveyance roller which conveys a medium, the opening part provided in a part of the said medium conveyance path, and the said opening part, and conveys the said medium A first guide having a tip portion extending toward the downstream side while being inclined outward of the furnace, and rotatably installed on the downstream side of the medium conveying path with respect to the opening, and inclined outward of the medium conveying path, A member having a second guide having a tip portion extending toward an upstream side, the member being engaged with at least one of the first guide and the second guide, wherein the member has a rotational force through frictional force from the rotation axis of the conveying roller. Rotate to transmit and rotate the at least one of the first guide and the second guide by a predetermined amount And that is characterized.

In the printer, either one of the first guide and the second guide rotates in accordance with a direction in which the medium is conveyed in the medium conveying path.

Another printer according to the present invention includes a head carrier having a print head for printing on a medium, and a platen provided opposite the print head to support the medium between the print heads. And a printing head traveling means for traveling the head carrier in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction in which the medium is conveyed, wherein the platen is in a direction substantially parallel to the second direction. At the same time as it extends, it is linked with the printing head driving means, and is selectively movable in a direction away from the printing head.

In the printer, when the printing head prints on the medium, the platen is brought closer to the printing head, and the medium is inserted between the head carrier and the platen.

The present invention relates to a printer that accepts a medium to be inserted therein and performs printing on the medium.

1 is an external view of the printer of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view showing the main part structure near the printing part of the present invention;

3 is a view showing the operation of the main part of the present invention,

4 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of an entire printer of the present invention;

5 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of an entire printer of the present invention;

6 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a carrier system;

7 is a main part control block diagram of the present invention;

8 is a front view showing the configuration of the printing system;

9 is a plan view showing the configuration of a printing system;

10 is an operation flowchart of a carrier system;

11 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a transport system in Example 1;

12 is a flowchart showing a print processing in the first embodiment;

13 is a detailed explanatory view of a printing unit in the printer of the present invention;

14 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a transport system in Example 2;

15 is a flowchart showing the operation of the printing system in the third embodiment;

16 is a plan view of a bank account in Example 3. FIG.

Each embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(Example 1)

1 is an external view of a printer of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a side view showing the main part near the printing part of the present invention. 3 is a view showing the operation of the main part of the present invention, and shows the angular position of the rotation of the camshaft 27 and the positional relationship between the stopper 21 and the pressure roller 5. FIG. 2 corresponds when FIG. 3 is at 0 degrees.

In FIG. 2, the medium 2 is a journal or slip that is printed by the printer 1. Conveying rollers _3-1 and _3-2 are, in cooperation with the means which will be described later, it is possible to insert while pressing the medium (2). Conveying rollers _3-1 is provided on the upper side of a media transport (4), the conveying rollers _3-1 to the medium conveyed from the outer peripheral part of _3-2, an upper guide opening 12 is provided in (4a) (Fig. 5) Protrudes to (4). Pressure rollers _5-1 and _5-2 will be installed on the conveying rollers _3-1 and _3-2, respectively, to face. Pressure rollers _5-1 and _5-2 is arranged in the bottom of the media transportation path (4), the outer peripheral part of the pressing rollers _5-1 and _5-2, to the medium delivery from a hole portion provided on the lower guide (4b) ( 4) protrudes.

Conveying rollers _3-1 and _3-2 degrees concentric outer dimensions of the strictly design and can be manufactured, and is through the frame 23, the shaft (3a) to (6) rotatably supported. Conveying rollers _3-1 and _3-2, via belts (6) is provided with a saw-tooth, (and since, LF motor, LF: Line Feed) motor for conveying is associated with (7). The LF motor 7 is a stepping motor. For example, if the medium transfer amount per unit step is 1/180 inch, the medium transfer amount is multiplied by the rotation amount (rotation step number) of the LF motor 7 to convey it. it can be seen the amount of conveying the medium (2) inserted into the rollers _3-1 and _3-2. At this time, the surface of at least the pressure rollers _5-1 and _5-2 should have the proper friction force acting between the friction member is formed of a high, medium (2).

The platen 8 is disposed facing the printing head 9 for printing the medium 2. The platen 8 regulates the backside position of the medium with respect to the print head 9. The print head 9 is mounted on the head carrier 10. The guide members 11a and 11b together with the SP motor 15, the motor gear 15a and the feed gear 15b which will be described later, the print head traveling means 11 for driving the head carrier 10 in the printing direction. To form. The guide member (hereinafter referred to as a feed screw) 11a has a groove inscribed in a spiral shape and supports the head carrier 10 fitted therein. By rotating the feed screw 11a, the head carrier 10 is driven. The guide member 11b slidably penetrates the inside of the head carrier 10 so that the tip of the printing head 9 maintains its posture in the normal direction with respect to the printing surface of the platen 8, Holds the head carrier 10.

The auxiliary guide 11c is provided on the head carrier 10 and is located at both sides of the printing head 9 (details will be described later). The auxiliary guide 11c aligns with the printing head 9 in the direction crossing the medium conveyance path 4. The auxiliary guide 11c prevents the ink ribbon (not shown) from suddenly contacting the medium 2 so that the medium 2 is dirty with ink. The upstream side guide 13 is provided in the upstream side with respect to the advancing direction of the medium 2 conveyed in the medium conveyance path 4, and the downstream side guide 14 is provided in the downstream side. The upstream guide 13 and the downstream guide 14 each have inclined portions 13a and 14a, whereby the medium 2 is guided smoothly in the medium conveying path 4. At this time, the detail about the upstream guide 13 and the downstream guide 14 is mentioned later.

4 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the entire printer of the present invention. In FIG. 4, the spacing motor (hereinafter referred to as SP motor) 15 rotates the above-described feed screw 11a via the motor gear 15a and the feed gear 15b fixed to the motor shaft. The SP motor 15 is a stepping motor, and the movement amount per unit step is 1/180 inch, for example. When the head carrier 10 is moved by the SP motor 15 and the print head 9 is driven, characters in a predetermined font can be printed. At this time, the SP motor 15, the motor gear 15a and the feed gear 15b are also included in the above-described printing head traveling means 11.

A method of controlling the slit disk having a plurality of slits in the vicinity of the outer circumference with the SP motor as a DC motor, by fixing the slit disk to the shaft of the DC motor, and monitoring the slit of the slit disk passing through the sensor with the slit detection sensor. There is also. In this case, A / D conversion of the output change of the slit detection sensor, which occurs every time the slit passes, generates a control signal, and controls the rotation direction or rotation position of the motor. For example, the position of the head carrier 10 can be controlled from the number of ON / OFF of this control signal.

The medium detection sensors SE1, SE2, and SE3 are arranged in a line in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the medium 2 at predetermined intervals. Each medium detection sensor consists of a light emitting diode and a light receiving transistor arranged to face the light emitting diode, and is arranged so that light of the light emitting diode crosses the medium transport path 4. When the medium 2 advances the medium conveyance path 4 and this light is interrupted, the light receiving transistor changes in output. When the output of the light receiving transistor is A / D converted, the ON / OFF signal can be obtained, and when the light of the plurality of medium detection sensors is turned off by the passage of the medium 2, The width is greater than the distance between the sensors.

6 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a carrier system of a medium. 6, the shaft holder 16 is provided, and the longitudinal hole (16a) extending in vertical direction are formed in the longitudinal hole (16a) to act as a bearing, a shaft fixed to the press rollers (5 ₁₎ Both ends of (5a) are rotatably supported. Spring 17 is, the hypothesis between the shaft holder 16 and the shaft (5a), has a pressure roller _(5-1) was added to the force toward the upper side of the long hole (16a). The cam roller 18 is supported by the shaft holder 16 so that rotation is possible. In addition, the plate cam 19 fitted to the cam roller 18 is provided in the cam shaft 27 rotated by the power of the plate cam drive motor 20 mentioned later. A pressure plate cam rollers _(5-1) by a timing (19) is rotated, according to Fig. 3 will be pressed against the transport roller _(3-1). This pressing force is generated by the spring 17 described above. At this time, the upper end surface of the length hole 16a and the shaft 5a are provided so that a gap is formed. At this time, the shaft 5a and the shaft holder 16 are guided only in the up-down direction by a bearing or guide member (not shown).

The protrusion 21a of the stopper 21 is configured to be able to enter the medium conveyance path 4 from the hole provided in the lower guide 4b, as shown. In this embodiment, on a downstream side of a conveying medium (4), opposite to each of the four pressure rollers _(5-1), is provided with four projections (21a). Each protrusion (21a) is, and has substantially the same width as the length of the pressing roller _(5-1). The stopper arm 22 is rotatably supported by the support shaft 22a fixed to the frame 23. Moreover, the cam roller 24 is rotatably supported in the substantially center of the stopper arm 22, and the stopper cam 25 is arrange | positioned corresponding to this cam roller 24. As shown in FIG.

The stopper arm 22 engages with the post 21b provided in the stopper 21 near its tip. A spring 26 extends between the tip of the stopper arm 22 and the stopper 21, which spring 26 exerts a force on the stopper arm 22 against the post 21b. At this time, the up or down by a conveying member such as a platen roller installed in the downstream side of the media transportation path (4) from (8) _(3-2) and a pressure roller _(5-2) is the above-described cam plate 19, Instead of being driven, they are always pressurized with each other by means not shown.

Also the mechanism for performing the vertical drive, the rotation control such as the LF motor 7 is driven and the upper and lower, a stopper 21 is interlocked to that of the pressing rollers _(5-1) described above with 2 and 6, the skew correcting means Form.

7 is a control block diagram for controlling the main part of the present invention. In Fig. 7, the driver circuit 28 is a drive circuit for driving the print head 9 and the motors 7, 15, and 20 described above. The amplifier circuit 29 is an amplifying circuit for amplifying the above-described output signals of the sensors, and the controller 30 receives each signal output from the amplifier, and the driver circuit from the controller 30 in accordance with the received signals. (28) A driving instruction light is shown. When the front end 201 of the conveyed medium 2 passes the medium detection sensor SE1, a value is assigned to the front end address, and the value of the front end address is synchronized with the rotation step of the LF motor 7. Is counted up. The output of the amplified medium detection sensor is converted into a digital signal by the A / D conversion circuit 31.

The count circuit 32 measures the number of rotation steps of the LF motor 7, the SP motor 15, and the like, and is controlled by the control unit 30. For example, in the printing head traveling means 11, this counting circuit 32 counts the number of rotation steps of the SP motor 15 to manage the head carrier position address indicating the position of the head carrier 10. The storage unit 33 is composed of a HDD, a RAM, and the like in which various operation control programs are stored, and temporarily stores operation information and the like. The storage unit 33 stores distance information from at least the front end 201 and the side end 202 to the center of the first character to be printed in the line to be printed. This distance information is a value obtained by multiplying the resolution of the SP motor 15 by an integer.

The details of FIG. 6 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. 8 is a front view showing the configuration of the printing system, and FIG. 9 is a plan view showing the configuration of the printing system. 8, the platen 8, the medium 2, the print head 9, and the like show large gaps with each other, and the ink ribbon and the like are omitted. In FIG. 6, the above-described plate cam 19 and the stopper cam 25 are fixed to the camshaft 27. Near the end of the camshaft 27, the slit disk 34 and the gear 27a are fixed. When the slit disk 34 rotates, the home sensor HPS detects the passage of the slit and outputs an electrical signal. These cams have a timing relationship as shown in FIG.

In Fig. 6, the motor gear 20a fixed to the rotation shaft of the plate cam drive motor 20 is meshed with the gear 27a and cogs, and the pressure is controlled by controlling the rotation of the plate cam drive motor 20. rollers _(5-1) and the stopper 21 is moved up and down (arrow E direction and the arrow F direction). Further, the pressing roller _(5-1) is driven in rotation at the time of transfer at the same time as the movement in the direction of arrow E and F are possible, the media (2). As shown in FIG. 6, the universal joint 36 is inserted between the rotational shaft of the gear 35 rotatably supported by the frame 23 and the shaft 5a. The rotational force of the gear 35 is transmitted to the shaft 5a by the universal joint 36. Even when the plate cam 19 is rotated and the shaft 5a is raised, the universal joint 36 allows the rotational force to be transmitted smoothly. The gear 35 is rotated by the belt 5 provided with the teeth described above through the pulley 38 while being engaged with the feed gear 37.

Next, the configuration of the printing system will be described with reference to FIG. The rollers 8a and 8b are rotatably supported above the media conveyance path 4 and near the left and right ends of the media conveyance path 4. On the other hand, the lower surface part of the head carrier 10 is formed with the horizontal lower surface 10b continued from the inclination part 10a. When the head carrier 10 is advanced in the direction crossing the medium conveying path 4 and the inclined portion 10a is engaged with the roller 8a (also with 8b), the roller 8a is pushed downward. In response to the repulsive force of the spring 39, the platen 8 is pushed down.

When the head carrier 10 moves further and moves to the stop position of the left end of FIG. 6, the roller 8a is engaged with the lower surface 10b, and the platen 8 stops at the lowest position. The auxiliary guide 11c is arrange | positioned so that it may be located in the outer side of the area | region occupied by the width | variety of the medium 2 in the stop position of this head carrier 10. As shown in FIG. Therefore, since the medium 2 does not contact the auxiliary guide 11c and the platen 8 falls, the medium 2 is conveyed when the LF motor 7 is driven.

As shown in Fig. 8, the auxiliary guide 11c is provided with a sensor SEL for detecting the right end of the medium and a sensor SER for detecting the left end of the medium. These sensors SEL and SER are called so-called reflective photocouplers, and are formed so that the light-receiving element receives the reflected light from which light emitted from the light-emitting element is reflected by the medium or the like. By A / D conversion of the output of this light receiving element, the side end part 202 of a medium can be detected, for example from a black-and-white area | region.

The sensor SEL detects the position of the side end portion 202 of the inserted medium 2 and specifies the amount of movement of the printing head 9 from this detected position to a predetermined position on the medium, thereby printing at a designated place on the medium. You can do At this time, since these techniques are known by Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 4-355172, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Next, the configuration of the printing system will be described with reference to FIG. The upstream side guide 13 is rotatably supported by the support shaft 13b provided in the frame 23 at both ends in the longitudinal direction (that is, the direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the medium). The coil spring 40 is fitted in this support shaft 13b, and the sealing part which is not shown in figure is provided so that the upstream guide 13 may be always maintained horizontally. Moreover, the tip end of the upstream guide 13 is the inclined part 13a of the shape bent outward. By this inclined portion 13a, the medium passing through the opening 12 can be safely transported.

The inclined portions 13a and 14a of the upstream guide 13 and the downstream guide 14 are pushed down (the direction toward the platen) when the auxiliary guide 11c moves in accordance with the movement of the head carrier 10. . Therefore, the printing operation is performed while the part of the auxiliary guide 11c slides and contacts at least the front-end | tip of inclination part 13a and 14a. In addition, since the platen 8 also rises due to the movement of the head carrier 10, the printing operation is performed while the medium 2 is inserted into the platen 8 and the auxiliary guide 11c.

The downstream guide 14 also has the structure similar to the upstream guide 13, and is always kept horizontally by the coil spring 41 inserted in the support shaft 14b. In the vicinity of one end part in the longitudinal direction of the upstream guide 13 and the downstream guide 14, there are relief parts 13c and 14c which made the height of the inclination parts 13a and 14a mentioned above low. As shown in FIG. 9, the relief part 13c is provided in the upstream guide 13 at the left side of the entry direction of a medium, and in the downstream guide 14 is provided in the right side of the entry direction of a medium.

As shown in FIG. 9, when the head carrier 10 is in the standby position at the right end side with respect to the entry direction of the medium, the auxiliary guide 11c is positioned in the relief portion 14c of the downstream guide 14. Therefore, the downstream guide 14 does not push down. On the contrary, since the relief part 13c of the upstream guide 13 is located in the left end side shown in figure, the upstream guide 13 is pushed down to the platen 8 side.

The processing operation from the insertion of the medium 2 into the printer 1 to the correction of the meandering of the medium 2 will be described with the flowchart shown in FIG. In FIG. 10, S1 to S23 represent operation steps. The stop position of the head carrier 10 which can move the head carrier 10 and can convey the medium 2 safely is called "standby position."

The control unit 30 judges whether By check the ON / OFF state of the home sensor HPS, the pressing rollers _(5-1), there is at the home position HP. If the pressure rollers _(5-1) without stopping at the home position HP, by rotating the cam plate driving motor 20, and executes the operation for detecting the home position HP of the pressure roller _(5-1). If the pressure rollers _(5-1), confirmed that the home position HP, and the processing state. Pressure rollers _(5-1) is detected whether or not the operation of the home position, the two may be run immediately after the discharge of the medium 2 in the previous print operation ends.

When the medium 2 is inserted from the arrow A direction shown in Fig. 5 and at least one of the medium detection sensors SE1 to SE3 detects the ON signal, the operation of the printer 1 is started (S1). At this time, when the pressure roller _(5-1) is in the home position, as shown in Figure 2 a projection (21a) of Fig. As can be seen from the positional relationship shown in Figure 3, the stopper 21, and conveyed to a medium (4 Since it protrudes to the side, the medium 2 is not inserted in front of this projection 21a. The control unit 30 instructs the LF motor 7 to forward rotate by a predetermined amount (S2). The amount of rotation is experimentally obtained and set in advance, and corresponds to about 5 to 10 times the distance from the medium detection sensor SE1 to the protrusion 21a.

To forward rotation by the given amount of LF motor 7, while the revolution while the conveying rollers _(3-1) and the pressure rollers _(5-1) are not pressurized, and detects the state of the medium detection sensor SE1 to SE3 (S3 ). In the present embodiment, it is confirmed that at least one of the medium detection sensors SE2 or SE3 disposed on the left and right sides of SE1 is ON, in addition to the medium detection sensor SE1 arranged at the center of the medium conveying path 4. When the plurality of medium detection sensors are turned on, the forward rotation of the LF motor 7 is stopped by a predetermined amount (S4).

When the plurality of medium detection sensors do not turn ON even if the forward rotation is performed by a predetermined amount, the timeout is made (S5) and the forward rotation drive of the LF motor 7 is terminated (S6). Subsequently to step S4, the control unit 30 rotates the plate cam drive motor 20 to rotate the camshaft 27 in the arrow C direction (S7). The amount of rotation at that time, through the position A from the home position HP position shown in Fig. 3 corresponding to the position B and the position A and pressed against the pressing roller _(5-1) The conveying rollers _(3-1), and By the rotation operation to the position B, the projection part 21a is retracted below the lower guide 4b.

Next, the LF motor 7 is rotated in reverse to start the conveyance of the medium 2 in the discharge (BLF) direction (S8). During this conveyance, the medium detection sensor SE1 and the medium detection sensor SE2 or SE3 turned on in step S3 are changed to OFF (S9). First, when any one of the medium detection sensors (for example, described as SE1) is turned off, the control unit 30 resets the count circuit 32 to set "0 (zero)" (S10). Subsequently, the LF motor 7 starts to count up the number of steps to rotate (S11).

When the other medium detecting sensor (described as SE2) is turned off (S12), the counting ends (S13). At this time, depending on the width of the medium 2, the medium detection sensor SE3 may change from ON to OFF, but the reverse rotation of the LF motor 7 is terminated (S14). Needless to say, since the LF motor 7 is a stepping motor, the rotation of several steps is performed as an ascending operation. The control unit 30 checks the count value to move to the next process. The meandering amount of the medium 2 can be calculated from this count value. For example, if the count value is " 3 ", a deviation (tilt) of 3x1 / 180 (inch) = 0.43 mm occurs at the distance between the medium detection sensors SE1 and SE2.

If the printout occurs with this "deviation", the print line is slanted obliquely as a print result. The allowable count value is also determined by determining the allowable meander amount in advance. For example, if the allowable value is set to " less than 5 ", the count value " 3 " is within the allowable range and the process proceeds to the next step. When the count value is " 5 ", the shift to the meandering correction operation is performed outside the permissible range (S15).

In step S15, when it is determined as "in the allowable range," the LF motor 7 is rotated forward, and the conveyance of the medium 2 is started toward the platen 8 in the direction of the insertion (LF) of the medium ( S16). Since the medium detection sensor SE1 is turned on without being conveyed (S17), the control unit 30 sets the front end address of the medium to 0 (zero) (S18). When conveying the medium 2 to the platen 8, as shown in Fig. 8, the head carrier 10 is moved to the retracted position on the right side, or it is located at the position from the value of the head carrier position address. Check (S19). The distance from the front end 201 of the medium 2 to the first row to be printed is converted (calculated) to the number of steps, and the calculated value is conveyed to a position coinciding with the center of the printing head 9 (S20). The printing operation will be described later.

In step S15, when it determines with "out of an allowable range," the plate cam drive motor 20 is controlled to rotate the camshaft 27 to a home position (S21). The direction of rotation at this time may be either the normal or the negative direction. That is, in FIG. 3, since it is sufficient to return from the position B to the home position HP, the direction passing through the position A and the direction passing through the position C may be sufficient. When the pressure roller 5 reaches the home position HP, the number of reruns is set. Here, "1" is set because it is the first rerun (S22). The control unit 30 instructs the plate cam drive motor 20 to rotate to the position X (S23). 3, the position X is increased amount (for example, the rotational angle of the camshaft 27 to 40 degrees), the protruding to a medium delivery (4) of the pressure roller _(5-1). The concept of this state is shown in FIG.

In step S23, the pressure rollers (5 ₁₎ remains a state in which further projects from the downstream side guides (4b), and returns to Step S2, and executes again the operation to step S15. When the result of determination in the second step S15 is "out of the allowable range", the number of reruns "2" is set. And the control part 30 instruct | indicates rotation from the home position position to the position Y with respect to the plate cam drive motor 20 in 3rd step S23. As can be understood from the cam curve of FIG. 3, at the position Y (eg, at an angle of about 60 degrees), the amount of protrusion of the pressure roller 5 to the medium conveying path 4 is further increased. In this manner, when the rerun operation is repeated and the rerun number "3" is set, it is determined that "meaning cannot be corrected", and the control unit 30 sends out a reset request and terminates the processing.

As described above, a medium 2 according to the rotation number of the protrusions (21a) of the pressing rollers _(5-1) and the medium surface (2) and the friction force, the pressing rollers _(5-1) generated between the back surface of the The meandering of the medium is corrected by continuing to operate further after reaching the projection 21a. Therefore, weight (yeonryang) of the pressure rollers (5 ₁₎ material and the width, of the surface roughness, or the medium (2) of, and sustaining effects on fertility by size. When re-run operation, assuming such a case, changing the increase amount of the pressure roller _(5-1).

At this time, it is also possible to perform a loading medium (2) is, the increase amount of the optimal pressure rollers _(5-1) on, the medium (2) if it can be specified from such input specifying a type of pre-printing information from the initial operation . In the present embodiment, three media detection sensors are provided. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and at least two may be disposed to measure the meandering amount. It goes without saying that the number of the medium detection sensors can increase or decrease according to the maximum size from the minimum size of the medium 2 to handle. At this time, if the size of the medium is known, one can be used. That is, if the number of steps of the LF motor 7 from the medium detection sensor ON to OFF during the BLF operation by step S8 shown in FIG. 10 corresponds to the distance between the medium detection sensor and the stopper, the result is "no meandering". If it is below a predetermined value, it can be considered as "possibly meandering."

The print processing in the first embodiment will be explained by the flowchart shown in FIG.

Prior to the printing operation, it is confirmed from the value of the carrier head position address that the head carrier 10 is in the standby position (referred to as position P) shown on the right side in FIG. 8 (S31). When the medium 2 is conveyed to the position of the line to print first, the printing head traveling means 11 starts an operation. First, when the SP motor 15 is rotated in the forward direction, the feed screw 11a is rotated, and the head carrier 10 starts to move in the direction of the arrow D shown in FIG. 8 (S32). When the movement is started, first, the roller 8b in contact with the lower surface 10b of the head carrier 10 passes through the inclined portion 10a and is engaged with the head carrier 10. When the engagement is released, the platen 8 is pushed up in the direction of the arrow E (FIG. 8) by the pushing force of the spring 39.

At about the same time, the downstream guide 14 is pushed down by the auxiliary guide 11c. This state is shown in FIG. 13, and both the downstream guide 14 and the upstream guide 13 are pushed down, and the platen 8 also rises.

The head carrier 10 further moves so that the end of the auxiliary guide 11c reaches the side end 202 of the medium 2 and rises on the side end 202. Since the shape of the end portion of the auxiliary guide 11c is a slope, the medium 2 is pressed downward. That is, the medium 2 is inserted by the raised platen 8 and the auxiliary guide 11c. When the head carrier 10 moves further and the sensor SEL reaches the position of the side end portion 202, the output of the sensor SEL changes (ON) (S33). The output change is A / D converted and stored in the storage unit 33 as the position address of the right end of the medium (S34).

Even if the head carrier 10 is moved by a predetermined amount, the ON signal may not be detected by the sensor SEL. For example, when the SP motor 15 pulls out, when the surface color of the medium 2 and the platen surface color are too similar to the color (for example, black), the medium 2 is conveyed. There is a lack of quantity. In these cases, it is timeout (S35). This timeout may be determined by monitoring the time, but generally, the timeout is determined by the number of drive steps supplied to the SP motor 15, and is determined in advance from the maximum number of movable steps of the head carrier 10 and the like. At this time, since a factor such as jam of the medium 2 is also considered, the timeout can be determined by whether or not the medium detection sensor SE2 is ON.

When the timeout occurs, the forward rotation of the SP motor 15 is terminated to stop the movement of the head carrier 10 (S36). At this point, the controller 30 determines that the process is impossible and notifies the person in charge of the error information. In addition, assuming that the medium 2 is inserted into the auxiliary guide 11c and the platen 8, the SP motor 15 is rotated in reverse to move the head carrier 10 to the right. To control. Since this operation causes an error in the value of the head carrier position address of the head carrier 10, the initialization of the print head traveling means 11 is required, but the description is omitted.

In step S34, if the position of the right end surface of the medium can be specified, the position at which the print head 9 is driven is calculated (S37), and the character font information is received from an upper device (not shown) or the like to start the printing operation. S38). At this time, detailed description of the printing operation by the printing head 9 is omitted. During this printing operation, as described above, printing is performed in the state shown in FIG.

When the printing of the first row (n = 1) ends, the control unit 30 transmits the printing end signal of the first row to the host apparatus (not shown). The host device checks the presence or absence of the print data of the next line. If the print data of the next line exists, the print data is sent to the printer 1. The control unit 30 determines whether or not the printing of the next row is received (S39). If there is no printing data of the next row, the control unit 30 proceeds to the next step S42. When the print data of the next row exists, the auxiliary guide 11c is used to open the head carrier 10 to the position where the head carrier 10 is not engaged with the medium 2, specifically, to open the medium 2 to the print position of the next row. Is retracted to the standby position (position P or Q) which is not in contact with the medium 2 (S40). Which of the positions P or Q is moved depends on the current position of the head carrier 10, so that the movement amount is smaller.

When the width of the medium 2 is not clear, the head carrier 10 may be retracted to either of the left and right standby positions. If the printer is provided with a control function such that the width of the medium can be measured by the sensor SEL or SER, the printer does not necessarily have to evacuate to the standby position (position P or Q). When the medium 2 is opened (conveyed), the medium 2 may not be inserted by the auxiliary guide 11c and the platen 8.

When the head carrier 10 moves to the standby position, the LF motor 7 is rotated by the rotational speed corresponding to the predetermined opening amount (S41). When the newline operation ends, the argument of the next line is executed. In this printing operation, the head carrier 10 may be controlled by printing to move in the opposite direction to the previous printing direction. The operation from step S38 to step S41 is executed until the printing data disappears. When the output of the print data ends, the medium 2 is discharged. When the head carrier 10 stops in the last row of printing, the ON / OFF state of the medium detection sensor SE1 is checked (S42).

When the medium detection sensor SE1 is in the OFF state, the rear end 203 of the medium 2 has already passed through the medium detection sensor SE1. While confirming that the rear end 203 of the medium 2 has passed the position of the medium detection sensor SE1, it is not necessary to detect the ON / OFF state of the medium detection sensor SE1. For example, at the timing at which the medium detection sensor SE1 is turned off, the rear end address indicating the position of the rear end of the medium 2 is given in advance. When the value of this rear-end address increases or decreases each time a newline operation is performed, and reaches a predetermined value, it may be determined that the rear-end 203 of the medium 2 has passed the position of the medium detection sensor SE1. .

The discharge operation of the medium 2 when the medium detection sensor SE1 is OFF will be described. This is the discharge operation in the case where the engagement with the upstream guide 13 is uncertain because the position of the rear end 203 of the medium 2 is very close to the platen 8.

Wherever the position of the head carrier 10 at the end of printing, the head carrier 10 is moved to the left standby position (position Q) (S43). By this operation, the platen 8 is pushed down by the roller 8a, and since the head carrier 10 faces the relief portion 13c, the upstream guide 13 is inclined ( 13a) is restored to the up state.

Next, the discharge operation of the medium when the medium detection sensor SE1 is ON will be described. This is a discharging operation in which the rear end 203 of the medium 2 is not so close to the platen 8 that no special consideration is required for the medium 2 passing through the opening 12. In this case, the head carrier 10 is moved to the standby position (position P or Q) retracted from above the medium 2 as described in the foregoing new-line operation (S44). In this state, the main surface of the reverse rotation command to the LF motor 7, toward the conveying roller (3 _{- 1)} and the pressure rollers (5 ₁₎ the medium (2) to rotate, is inserted into the insertion hole to start the conveying .

During the reverse rotation of the LF motor 7, the value of the front end address of the medium is updated in accordance with the number of rotation steps of the LF motor 7, and the discharge operation is executed until the address value K at the predetermined position is reached ( S46). Here, the address value K indicates that the front end 201 is in a position to turn on the medium detection sensor SE1 between the projection 21a and the medium detection sensor SE1. When the value of the front end address becomes K, the reverse rotation of the LF motor 7 ends (S47). Then, by rotating the cam plate driving motor 20, thereby returning the pressure roller _(5-1) to the home position (S48). The control unit 30 monitors the OFF of the medium detection sensor SE1. When the person in charge takes out the printed media 2, the media sensor SE1 changes from ON to OFF, so that printing is completed here (S49).

When the dimension of the advancing direction of the medium 2 is large, when the plate cam drive motor 20 is rotated and returned to position C (FIG. 3), since the projection part 21a does not protrude to the medium conveyance path 4, The discharge of the medium 2 after finishing printing can be controlled so that the medium 2 does not fall out of the printer 1. Therefore, even a long length of medium does not fall out of the printer. In addition, since the pressurized roller and the stopper are retracted, the medium can be taken out quickly. According to the tension setting of the spring 26, the medium 2 can be pressed by the projection 21a and the upper guide 4a, and similarly, the fall prevention can be performed. This is to wait for the user to remove the medium by clamping the medium, which is effective when a continuous sheet is used.

(Example 2)

14 shows the configuration of a carrier system placed near the printing unit. The part different from Example 1 is a point where the shape of an upstream guide and a downstream guide, and the member (levers) for operating them up and down are provided.

The friction clutch 41 fitted to the shaft 3a has a function of generating a friction load between the push levers 42 similarly fitted to the shaft 3a. For example, thereby to generate a rotating force in the arrow I direction of conveyance rollers _(3-1) are pushed by the lever when rotated in the arrow H direction, the friction clutches 41 and 42. At this time, the rotation angle range of the push lever 42 is limited by a restriction member (not shown). Accordingly, the push lever 42 rotated up to the restricting member does not rotate any more, and slippage occurs between the shaft 3a.

The push lever 43 is, when the friction clutch to the conveyor roller _3-2 by 41 hayeoteul rotated in an arrow M direction, and is subject to a rotating force in the arrow L direction structure. This push lever 43 is also limited in the rotation angle range by a restriction member (not shown). Accordingly, the push lever 43 rotated to the restricting member does not rotate any more, and generates slip between the shaft 3b.

The upstream side guide 44 has the shape similar to the upstream side guide 13 demonstrated in Example 1, and its different point is roughly two kinds. First, although the upstream guide 44 is rotatably supported about the support shaft 44a, the spring 44 which is not shown in figure shows the inclination part 44b to the media conveyance path 4 at all times, It is adding. The second is to have the engaging portion 44c with the post 42a fixed to the push lever 42 on the opposite side to the inclined portion 44b. When the post 42a is disengaged from the engaging portion 44c, the upstream guide 44 is rotated in the direction of the arrow J by a spring (not shown), and the state is as shown in FIG.

The downstream side guide 46 also has the shape similar to the downstream side guide 14 demonstrated in Example 1, and the difference is the same as the approximate and upstream side guide 44. FIG. The downstream guide 46 is rotatably supported about the support shaft 46a, and applies the inclination part 46b to the medium conveyance path 4 side always by the spring which is not shown in figure. In addition, the post 46c is fixed to the side opposite to the inclined portion 46b, and engages with the push lever 43. When the sealing portion 43a pushes down the post 46c, the inclined portion 46b is pushed upward (arrow R direction) against the spring (not shown) in the previous state, and the state is as shown in FIG.

In the above construction, the medium (2) is inclined section of the conveying rollers _{(3-1, 3-2),} an arrow H, to rotate in M direction, the upstream side guide 44 when being conveyed in the direction of arrow A ( Since 44b descends to the medium conveyance path 4 and the inclined portion 46b of the downstream guide 46 faces upward, the medium 2 passes safely through the platen 8 portion. On the contrary, if the medium 2 is conveyed in the direction of the arrow B, the conveying rollers _{(3-1, 3-2)} is a rotation direction opposite to the arrows H, M direction, the upstream side guide 44 is inclined portion ( 44b faces upward, on the contrary, since the inclined portion 46b of the downstream guide 46 is dripped onto the medium conveying path 4 side, the medium 2 passes safely through the platen 8 portion.

(Example 3)

The operation of optically reading the information recorded on the medium by the sensor SER (or SEL) mounted on the head carrier 10 will be described. FIG. 15 is an operation flowchart when identifying the page of the medium to be printed by reading the barcode (vertical bar) 2b shown in FIG. 16 and interpreting the read result. Fig. 16 is a plan view showing a bankbook 2a used in a financial institution, and a barcode 2b showing a page of the bankbook 2a is printed in advance at a position of a predetermined dimension T from the upper end of the bankbook 2a. At this time, the conveyance from the insertion into the printer to the printing position is performed in the same manner as in the operation shown in FIG.

When the forward rotation of the SP motor 15 is performed, the head carrier 10 starts to move in the direction of the arrow D from the standby position (position P) on the right side in FIG. 8 (S51). When the head carrier 10 moves by the distance N in FIG. 8, the sensor SEL is turned on. That is, the right end surface of the bankbook 2a is detected (S52). In response to the detection signal of the sensor SEL at this time, the control unit 30 stores the movement amount up to that counted by the counting circuit 32. This movement amount is determined by the number of rotation steps (= movement amount) of the SP motor 15 until the sensor SEL is turned ON when the value of the head carrier position address at the right standby position (position P) is 0 (zero). It is a corresponding address value (S53).

The control unit 30 adds the number of steps up to the position G of the read gate for reading the barcode 2b to the value of the head carrier position address when the sensor SEL is turned on (S54). The addition step number at this time is calculated | required previously from the printing position of the barcode 2b. When the SP motor 15 is rotated to a position corresponding to the value of the head carrier position address added in step S54, the control unit 30 opens the lead gate for monitoring the output of the sensor SEL (S55).

The sensor SEL scans the bar code 2b to output analog data corresponding to the bar code 2b. This analog data shows the width of the black line of the bar code 2b and the width of the white area as the interval thereof, and is converted into digital data by the A / D conversion circuit 31 (S56). The SP motor 15 is continuously rotated until the value of the head carrier position address reaches a predetermined value (S57), and the read gate is closed when the operation to the predetermined position is completed (S58).

As described above, since the page information attached to the bank book 2a can be read by the sensor SEL mounted on the head carrier 10, even if the person in charge or the user opens and inserts the wrong page, before printing processing, The column may determine the suitability of the page. Therefore, the person in charge and the user do not have to worry about opening the correct page of the account. In addition, since there is no need to provide a special page reading mechanism in the printer, there is an effect that the size and weight can be reduced.

In the above description, even if the pressing rollers _(5-1) at the home position HP was considered to protrude from the media transport (4). In when inserting the friction load when a fault occurs, for example, in the case of a printer for handling a booklet-like medium such as a passbook, the pressing rollers _(5-1) to a position retracted from the lower guide (4b) It can also be set as a home position.

In the present invention, when at least one of the plurality of media sensors arranged in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction detects the media, after the meandering correction is performed, the meandering amount of the media is measured by the media conveying means and the media detecting sensor. . Since the printing is performed only when the amount of meandering is within the allowable range, no gradient factor or the like occurs. In addition, by interlocking the entry and exit operations of the projection portion and the pressure roller into the medium conveying path with one motor, control becomes easy and the number of parts can be reduced. In addition, the meandering amount of the media after the meandering correction means is activated can increase the amount of protrusion of the pressurized roller during the re-execution operation when the meandering amount is outside the allowable range.

In the present invention, printing head traveling means having a printing head mounted on the medium is provided in an opening provided in a part of the medium conveying path of the medium to be printed. On the upstream side of the medium conveyance path with respect to this opening part, the upstream guide which has the inclined part whose front end turned outward toward the downstream side is rotatably arrange | positioned. Moreover, the downstream side guide part which has the inclination part which the front-end | tip turned toward the outer side of the medium conveyance path to the upstream side with respect to an opening part is arrange | positioned rotatably. Since the operation of pushing the upstream side guide and the downstream side guide to the inside of the medium conveying path is controlled by the stop position (retraction position) of the head carrier, the device can be miniaturized and lightened since no special driving source is required. do.

In the present invention, with respect to the medium conveying path having a conveying roller rotating while inserting the conveying medium and the opening provided in a part of the medium conveying path, the upstream side of the medium conveying path is located downstream of the medium conveying path. The upstream side guide which has the inclined part toward the side is rotatably arrange | positioned. Moreover, with respect to the opening part, the downstream side guide which rotatably arranges the downstream side which has the inclined part whose front end turned outward toward the upstream side toward the upstream side. Further, by using the friction force between the rotating shaft of the conveying roller and the lever member, it is possible for the lever member to push down the upstream guide or the downstream guide by a predetermined amount. The pushing down of the upstream guide or the downstream guide is automatically switched in accordance with the conveying direction of the medium, so that the number of parts can be reduced.

In the present invention, a head carrier equipped with a print head for printing to a medium, a platen for supporting the medium, and print head traveling means for traveling the head carrier in the medium width direction are provided for the operation of the print head traveling means. Platen is operated up and down in conjunction. Therefore, there is an effect that small size and light weight can be realized because no special driving source is required. At this time, although the present invention has been described as a printer, it can be applied to an apparatus for carrying media such as a facsimile, an optical recognition device, an image reader, and the like.

Claims (19)

A medium return path for returning the medium to be printed; Has a stopper disposed in a part of the medium conveying path, After correcting the meandering of the medium by hitting the medium on the stopper, the position information indicating the end position of the medium in the conveying path is generated, and the printing factor is controlled according to the positional information. Printer. The method of claim 1, And the stopper is movable to enter or exit the medium conveying path. The method of claim 1, An end portion of the medium is at least the front end and the side end of the medium conveying the medium conveyance path. A medium return path for returning the medium to be printed; A medium conveying means for conveying a medium in a first direction in the medium conveying path; A plurality of medium detection sensors arranged at predetermined intervals in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction; Meandering means for correcting the meandering of the medium; And a printing head traveling means for traveling in the second direction the head carrier equipped with the printing head for printing on the medium, When at least one of the plurality of medium detecting sensors detects the medium, the meandering correction means is operated, and then the meandering amount of the medium is measured by the medium conveying means and the at least one medium detecting sensor, and And the printing head traveling means is operated when the amount of meandering is within an allowable range. The method of claim 4, wherein An opening provided in a part of the medium conveying path and extending in a second direction; An auxiliary guide installed at the head carrier and covering a part of the opening; It is provided in the head carrier, and has a sensor for detecting the side end of the medium, When the printing head driving means is operated, the head carrier is opposed to the medium conveying path through the opening and travels along the opening, and the sensor detects the side end of the medium. printer. The method of claim 4, wherein The meandering correction means, A stopper which enters a part of the medium conveying path and contacts the front end of the medium; It has a roller which enters a part of the said medium conveyance path, and rotates to convey the said medium toward the said stopper, And the stopper and the roller cooperate with each other to enter the media conveyance path and to be evacuated from the media conveyance path. The method of claim 4, wherein The head carrier has a separate sensor, and the sensor reads the information recorded on the medium. The method of claim 6, And the stopper has a plurality of protrusions arranged in a second direction and facing the rollers. The method of claim 6, And the entry amount when the roller enters the medium conveying path. The method of claim 6, And after the meandering correction means is operated, if the meandering amount of the medium is outside the allowable range, the entry amount of the roller is increased so that the meandering correction means is operated again. An opening provided in a part of a medium conveying path extending in the first direction and conveying the medium to be printed, extending in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction; A head carrier equipped with a print head for printing the medium through the opening; Has printing head traveling means for traveling the head carrier in the second direction, It is a 1st guide provided in the upstream of the said conveyance path with respect to the said opening part, The said 1st guide is rotatable and has a tip part extended toward a downstream side while inclining outward of the said conveyance path, It is a 2nd guide provided in the downstream of the said conveyance path with respect to the said opening part, The said 2nd guide is rotatable and has a tip part extended toward an upstream side while inclining outward of the said conveyance path, It is characterized by the above-mentioned. printer. The method of claim 11, And the medium rotates so that only the first guide enters the inside of the medium conveying path when the medium passes the opening toward the downstream side rather than the upstream side. The method of claim 11, When the head carrier is at one end of the second direction in the medium conveying path, the first guide rotates to enter the inside of the medium conveying path, and the other side of the second conveying path is in the second direction. When at the end, the second guide rotates to enter the inside of the media conveying path. The method of claim 11, And a standby position of the head running means is selected corresponding to the stop position of the front end or the rear end of the medium when conveying the medium. The method of claim 13, When the head carrier is not located at either end of the second direction in the medium conveying path, both the first guide and the second guide rotate so as to enter inward of the medium conveying path. Printer. A medium return path to which the medium is returned, A return roller for returning the medium, An opening provided in a part of the medium conveying path; A first guide having a tip portion which is rotatably installed on an upstream side of the conveyance path with respect to the opening portion and which is inclined outward of the conveyance path and extends toward the downstream side; It has a 2nd guide which has a front-end | tip part extended toward an upstream side, while being rotatably provided in the downstream of the said conveyance path with respect to the said opening part, and inclining outward of the said conveyance path, It is a member engaged with at least one of the said 1st guide and the said 2nd guide, The said member rotates by the rotational force transmitted from a rotating shaft of the said conveying roller through a frictional force, and among the said 1st guide and the said 2nd guide And rotating the at least one side by a predetermined amount. The method of claim 16, A printer, characterized in that either one of the first guide and the second guide rotates in accordance with the direction in which the medium is conveyed in the medium conveying path. A head carrier equipped with a printing head for printing onto the medium, A platen disposed opposite the print head to support the medium between the print heads; Has printing head traveling means for traveling the head carrier in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction in which the medium is conveyed, The platen, A printer, characterized in that it extends in a direction substantially parallel to a second direction and is selectively movable in a direction away from a direction closer to said print head in association with said print head traveling means. The method of claim 18, And the platen is close to the print head when the print head prints on the medium, and the medium is inserted between the head carrier and the platen.