JP3014018B2 - Ink film display for printer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink film display device for a printer, and more particularly to an ink film display device for a printer configured to identify and display an ink film.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ink film printer employs a method of obtaining information using a mechanical detection device as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-69386 to identify the type of ink film. Had been. In addition, the identification of the type of the ink film is generally performed by a method as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 of the publication. As shown in FIGS. 9 (a), 9 (b) and 9 (c), this method is configured so that the operator can understand the type of the ink film used by reading the information of characters or numbers. .

[0003]

In this conventional ink film printer, since the detection unit of the type of the ink film is of a mechanical type, there is an inconvenience that the life of the sensor is short. In addition, the mechanical type increases the number of parts or types, and thus increases the cost. Furthermore, since the display unit displays characters or numbers as it is, there is a disadvantage that it is difficult to intuitively understand the type of the ink film.

[0004]

An object of the present invention is to provide an ink film display device for a printer which can improve the disadvantages of the prior art, in particular, can extend the life of the sensor portion and intuitively recognize the type of the ink film in use. To do so.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided an optical sensor for detecting information on the type of an ink film from the ink film in use, and information for analyzing the information from the optical sensor to determine the type and color of the ink film. a determination unit, have a display unit having a plurality of lighting display circuit for lighting display a color corresponding to the color information discriminated by the information determination unit, on the information discriminating portion, for lighting drive the display unit
Code conversion table with multiple color codes in advance
The information discriminating unit is provided together with the discriminated color.
The color code corresponding to the information is converted to the code conversion table.
And output it as a color code for the display unit
It adopts the configuration of doing. This aims to achieve the above-mentioned object.

[0006]

[Operation] The information discriminating unit receives predetermined information from the optical sensor, converts the code using a code conversion table, and sends out a signal corresponding to the color of the ink film to the display unit. Specific operation control is performed according to a command from the main control unit.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. The embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 includes an optical sensor 2 for detecting information on the type of the ink film from the ink film 1 being used, and an optical sensor 2 for detecting the information.
A display unit comprising: an information discriminating unit 11 for analyzing information from the information discriminating unit to discriminate the type and color of the ink film 1; 12 are provided.

The information discriminating unit 11 includes the display unit 12 described above.
A code conversion table 13 provided in advance with a plurality of color codes for driving the light-on is provided. This information discriminating unit 1
1 further retrieves a color code corresponding to the determined color information from the code conversion table and retrieves a color code for the display unit.
It has a function to output as error code.

This will be described in more detail.

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of this embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing an example of a location where the optical sensor 2 is mounted in the main body case 20 of the printer. This figure 2
In the figure, reference numeral 21 indicates a platen, reference numeral 22 indicates a feed roller for the ink film 1, and reference numeral 23 indicates a take-up roller. Reference numeral 4 denotes a thermal head. FIG. 3 shows a configuration example of the ink film 1 itself. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 8 denotes a display example of a cue mark of the ink film 1, and reference numeral 9 denotes a display example of a type identification code of the ink film 1. Reference numeral 10 indicates an example of the last print color portion, and reference numeral 11 indicates an example of the first print color portion. FIG. 4 is an example of the code conversion table 13.

When printing is performed by the printer, the paper 1
At 00, the ink on the ink film 2 is transferred by the thermal head 4. In this type of printer, the sensor 2 generally reads the type identification code 9 at the same time that the first print color portion to be printed first is located at the time of printing. Thus, the information discriminating unit 11 can identify the type of the ink film.

[0012] Then, as shown in FIG.
1 receives predetermined information from the optical sensor 2, converts the code using the code conversion table 15, and sends a signal corresponding to the color of the ink film 1 to the display unit 12. Specific operation control is performed according to a command from the main control unit 3.

The display section 12 uses a light emitting diode 17 for display. Then, when the transistor 18 shown in FIG. 6 is turned on, a current flows and the light emitting diode emits light. Light emitting diodes 17, 17,...
Outside the colored displays 19a, 19b, 19c,
The display 19a to 19d allow the operator to understand the type of color of the ink film.

FIG. 7 shows an example of the front of the display. FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C show actual display examples of the respective displays.

Here, for example, when there are four types of ink films (yellow, magenta, cyan, black), three colors (yellow, magenta, cyan), and monochromatic monochrome, the colored disc display 19a in FIG. , From above Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), K
The color order is (black). FIG.
(A), (B), and (C) represent the display states of four colors, three colors, and a single color, respectively.

When the actual color of the ink film is three, for example, the information discriminating unit 11 sends an ON signal to the transistors corresponding to 19a, 19b and 19c in FIG. 8B is obtained.

[0017]

The present invention is constructed and functions as described above. According to this, since the type of the ink film is detected optically, the life of the sensor is extended,
In addition, it is possible to reduce the cost of the entire apparatus by reducing the number of parts and types of parts as compared with the conventional example, and since the display unit has a display close to the actual color scheme,
It is possible to provide an unprecedented excellent ink film display device for a printer, which is easy for a user to visually understand.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a mounting location of an optical sensor in FIG. 1; This is the configuration of the ink film itself.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of an ink film itself in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a table showing an example of a code conversion table.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a display unit in FIG.

6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the light emitting circuit shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an issue surface of the display shown in FIG. 5;

8 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation state of FIG. 7; FIG. 8A shows a case where four emitting diodes are turned on;
(B) shows a case where three emitting diodes are turned on,
FIG. 8C shows a case where one emitting diode is turned on.

9A and 9B are explanatory diagrams showing a conventional example, in which FIG. 9A shows an example of displaying numbers, FIG. 9B shows an example of the type of ink film, and FIG. 9C shows an example of color display of the ink film. Are respectively shown.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 2 optical sensor 3 control unit 4 thermal head 11 information discriminating unit 12 display unit 13 code conversion table 17 light emitting diode 19a, 19b, 19c, 19d colored display 100 paper

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-60-257282 (JP, A) JP-A-60-210489 (JP, A) JP-A-4-31080 (JP, A) JP-A-3-202379 (JP) , A) JP-A-2-151469 (JP, A)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An optical sensor for detecting information on the type of an ink film from an in-use ink film, an information determining unit for analyzing information from the optical sensor to determine the type and color of the ink film, and an information determining unit. in have a display unit having a plurality of lighting display circuit for lighting display of the corresponding color to the determined color information in the information discriminating portion, a plurality of mosquitoes which turned drives the display unit
A code conversion table with error codes in advance
At the same time, the information discriminating section determines the color corresponding to the discriminated color information.
Error code from the code conversion table
An ink film display device for a printer characterized by outputting as a color code for a display unit.