JP6986990B2 - Printheads and printers - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a print head and a printer, and more particularly to a dot impact type print head and a dot impact type printer to which the print head is applied.

Conventionally, the dot impact type printer can perform overlay printing (printing) on copy paper (printing paper, paper), so it can be used in various situations such as printing slips at counters such as accounting slips and custody slips, or printing pay slips, etc. It is used in. In addition, dot-impact printers that print by hitting an ink ribbon with a wire pin (printing wire) can prevent malicious alteration because the paper has irregularities. For example, an automated teller machine (ATM) at a bank. : Automated Teller Machine) etc. are also widely used.

The print head of such a dot impact type printer drives the print wire used for striking (impact operation) at high speed by a magnetic actuator, and there are a release type and a suction type print head. The release type dot impact type print head eliminates the magnetic force holding the actuator by passing a momentary current through the electromagnet (coil), and the tip of the print wire is projected by the elastic force of the actuator spring. Print with.

In addition, the suction type (clapper type) dot impact type printhead draws the actuator by passing a momentary current through the electromagnet, and the tip of the printing wire is projected to perform printing. After printing, the current of the electromagnet is cut off, and the printed wire (moving part) is restored to the reference position (reset position) by the spring (recovery coil spring) attached to the actuator. In this specification, a suction type dot impact type printhead will be described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to the suction type and is also applicable to a release type dot impact type printhead. Needless to say, it is possible.

Conventionally, a general requirement for a dot impact printer is to increase the printing speed. In order to increase the printing speed, the number of wires (number of pins) of the print head is increased from, for example, 18 to 24 or 48.

By the way, the dot impact printer capable of preventing malicious tampering is not limited to the fields where high-speed printing is required, for example, the fields where low-priced printers are required even if the printing speed is slow. There is also. That is, as a dot impact printer, both a printer capable of high-speed printing even at a high price and a printer capable of high-speed printing but at a low price are required.

Conventionally, various dot impact printers (print heads) have been proposed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 08-174870 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-052985

As described above, the dot impact printer is required to be both a printer capable of high-speed printing even at a high price and a printer capable of high-speed printing but at a low price, but these different requirements are met. If a print head with a common configuration of the main parts is used, it is considered that the price can be further reduced.

By the way, when manufacturing a low-priced printer, a print head having a small number of pins (for example, 12 pins or 9 pins) is usually newly developed and mounted. However, for example, if a print head capable of high-speed printing (for example, a print head having 24-pin specifications) already exists, it is better to manufacture a print head with a small number of pins by using the print head. It is possible to further reduce the price.

In other words, when manufacturing printheads with different pin numbers, it is better to standardize parts to the extent possible than to develop new printheads suitable for each pin number, which saves investment and man-hours for parts development. It can be reduced and reduced in cost.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a print head and a printer which can save the trouble of newly developing and manufacturing a print head having a small number of pins and can reduce the cost.

According to the first embodiment of the present invention, the number of pins of the underlying printhead is N, and an even number of 2 or more divisible by N is M, which is an N / M pin printhead and serves as the basis. A total of N / M-2 selected every M-1 from the odd and even top pins in the printhead and the odd and even top pins in the underlying printhead. With odd and even top pins, a total of N / M-2 selected every M-1 from the odd and even top pins and the odd and even top pins. Provided is a dot impact type printhead that prints with odd-numbered and even-numbered pins M times on the outward path or the return path of the N / M pin printhead.

According to the second embodiment of the present invention, a dot impact printer including the print head of the first embodiment is provided.

According to the print head and the printer according to the present invention, there is an effect that the labor of newly developing and manufacturing a print head having a small number of pins can be saved and the cost can be reduced.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a print head. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of the pin arrangement of the print head and the printing operation by the pins. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a coil arrangement corresponding to a pin number in the print head shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a pin arrangement and a printing operation by the pins in one embodiment of the print head according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a coil arrangement corresponding to a pin number in the print head shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a modification of the print head shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining an example of a print head to which the present invention can be applied. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a main part of an embodiment of the printer according to the present invention.

First, before detailing the examples of the print head and the printer according to the present invention, an example of the print head and an example of the printing operation by the print head will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a print head, and is for explaining an example of a suction type dot impact type print head 1. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 is a recovery coil spring, 11 is a printed wire, 12 is an armature, 13 is a wire guide, 14 is a stopper, 15 is a magnet base, 16 is a fulcrum pin, 17 is a cover, and 18 is a print. Shows the substrate. Although only two printing wires 11 (movable parts including the printing wires) are drawn in FIG. 1, it goes without saying that a plurality of (for example, 24) printing wires are actually provided.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the print head 1, the print wire 11 for dot printing is fixed to the armature 12 by, for example, brazing, and is positioned and held by the wire guide 13. Here, the print wire 11 is pressed against the stopper 14 by the restoration coil spring 10 that urges the armature 12 when it is not in operation. That is, when not in operation (when printing is not performed), the movable portion including the printing wire 11 is held at the reset position (reference position) by the restoration coil spring 10.

When printing is performed, a magnetic field (magnetic flux) is generated by energizing the coil 152 wound around the core 151 in the magnet base (electromagnet) 15. Then, when the attractive force due to the generated magnetic field becomes equal to or greater than the urging force due to the recovery coil spring 10, the armature attractive portion (outer peripheral portion of the armature 12) 12a is attracted by the core 151 in the magnet base 15. By the suction of the armature suction unit 12a, the armature 12 rotates around the fulcrum pin 16, whereby the tip 11a of the printing wire 11 protrudes, and dots are printed on the paper through the ink ribbon, for example (impact). It works).

Next, when the energization of the coil 152 is stopped, the generated magnetic field weakens, and the movable portion including the print wire 11 returns to the reset position due to the urging force of the recovery coil spring 10. Here, the stopper 14, the magnet base 15, and the like are held by the cover 17, and a predetermined control voltage is applied to the coil 152 via the printed circuit board 18.

As described above, a plurality of (for example, 24) movable parts including the print wire 11 are provided, and by controlling the plurality of movable parts, predetermined characters and numbers are provided by the tips 11a of the plurality of print wires. Or, print (print) a code or the like. Further, the movable portion is not limited to the one in which the above-mentioned printing wire 11 is fixed to the armature 12 by brazing or the like and the tip 11a of the printing wire 11 is projected by utilizing the attractive force of the electromagnet, and has various configurations. be able to.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of the pin arrangement of the print head and the printing operation by the pins. Here, FIG. 2A shows a printing unit of a 24-pin specification printhead 1 ## having 24 print wires 11, that is, a pin arrangement of the 24-pin printhead 1 ##. The pin arrangement (arrangement of the tip 11a of the printing wire 11) seen from the left side (viewpoint IP) in FIG. 1 is schematically shown. Further, FIG. 2B is for explaining the operation when printing is performed by the 24 pins (# 1 to # 24) of the pin arrangement shown in FIG. 2A. Note that the printhead 1 ## of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2A is, for example, the same as the printhead 1 shown in FIG. 1, and has the configuration of the printhead 1 described with reference to FIG. ..

As shown in FIG. 2A, the 24 pins # 1 to # 24 are in a 6-row array divided into 6 rows. In this 6-row array, for example, from the left side in FIG. 2A, pins # 11, # 13 (first row), pins # 7, # 9, # 15, # 17 (second row), and pins # 1, # 3, # 5, # 19, # 21, # 23 (third row), pins # 2, # 4, # 6, # 20, # 22, # 24 (fourth row), pins # 8, It is composed of # 10, # 16, # 18 (fifth column), and pins # 12, # 14 (sixth column). Here, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), the spacing (pitch) between vertically adjacent pins (for example, pins # 1 and # 2, pins # 2 and # 3, ..., Pins # 23 and # 24). ) P # is constant (eg, 1/180 inch or 1/160 inch).

As shown in FIG. 2B, the 24-pin printhead 1 ## prints 24 dots by moving from the left end to the right end of the paper (printing area), for example. Here, the reason why the 24 pins # 1 to # 24 are arranged in 6 rows is that by dividing them into 6 row pin groups, for example, they operate at the same time as a linear arrangement (24 pins are arranged in one row). This is to reduce noise by reducing the number of (driving) pins and to make it less susceptible to magnetic interference between adjacent pins. As will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 7, the application of the present invention is not limited to the print head having a 6-row arrangement.

For printing by the print head 1 ##, for example, the print head 1 ## is moved from the left end to the right end of the paper to print 24 dots for one line, and then the paper is fed to the next line (for example). (Move), and the print head 1 ## is moved from the right edge to the left edge of the paper to enable reciprocating printing (bidirectional printing) in which 24-dot printing is performed on the next line.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a coil arrangement corresponding to a pin number in the print head shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the magnet base 15 includes, for example, 24 electromagnets corresponding to 24 print wires 11, each electromagnet having a core 151 and a coil 152. Here, as shown in FIG. 3, 24 coils 152 (core 151, electromagnet) are provided at equal intervals on the circumference centered on the center of the print head 1 in the magnet base 15, respectively. The corresponding pins (printing wires 11) # 1 to # 24 are driven.

The order of the coils 152 (electromagnets) that drive each pin # 1 to # 24 is, for example, clockwise, # 1, # 3, # 5, ..., # 23, # 24, # 22, # 20. , ..., # 6, # 4, # 2, # 1. That is, in the 24-pin printhead 1 ## of the 6-row arrangement shown in FIG. 2A, the odd-numbered pins # 1, # 3, # 5, ..., # 23 arranged on the left side are shown in FIG. Even-numbered pins # 2, # 4 driven by coils 152 (# 1, # 3, # 5, ..., # 23) on the right side of the magnet base 15 shown and arranged on the right side of FIG. 2 (a). , # 6, ..., # 24 are driven by the coil 152 (# 2, # 4, # 6, ..., # 24) on the left side of the magnet base 15 shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, examples of the printhead and the printer according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a pin arrangement and a printing operation by the pins in one embodiment of the printhead according to the present invention, and shows a printhead 1AA having 12 print wires 11. Here, FIG. 4A corresponds to FIG. 2A, and FIG. 4B corresponds to FIG. 2B.

As is clear from the comparison between FIGS. 4 (a) and 2 (a), the print head 1AA of this embodiment is an odd number in the 24-pin print head 1 ## of the 6-row arrangement shown in FIG. 2 (a). And every other pin from the even-numbered top pins # 1 and # 2 (corresponding to pins A1 and A2) is selected and used. Here, the 24-pin printhead 1 ## shown in FIG. 2A may be an existing one, but for example, both a 24-pin specification printhead and a 12-pin specification printhead will be developed. A print head having a large number of pins (capable of high-speed printing) may be used.

Here, when the 12-pin printhead 1AA and the 24-pin printhead 1## of this embodiment are associated with each other, the pins A1 and A2 correspond to the pins # 1 and # 2, and the pins A3 and A4 correspond to the pins # 5. , # 6, pins A5 and A6 correspond to pins # 9 and # 10, pins A7 and A8 correspond to pins # 13 and # 14, and pins A9 and A10 correspond to pins # 17 and # 18. And the pins A11 and A12 correspond to the pins # 21 and # 22.

The printhead 1AA of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 4A is, for example, the same as the printhead 1 shown in FIG. 1, and has the configuration of the printhead 1 described with reference to FIG. However, in the print head 1AA of this embodiment, only 12 print wires 11 for 12 pins and their movable parts need to be provided. Therefore, for example, refer to FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b). Compared to the 24-pin printhead 1 ## described above, the number of parts can be significantly reduced and the time required for assembly work can be shortened. Further, as will be described in detail later, the drive capacity (capacity) of the power supply and the control circuit for driving the printhead 1AA can be reduced, and the printer can be made smaller and cheaper.

Here, the odd-numbered pins A1, A3, A5, A7, A9, and A11 in the printhead 1AA shown in FIG. 4A are the odd-numbered pins # 1, # 5, in the printhead 1## shown in FIG. 2A. It corresponds to # 9, # 13, # 17, and # 21, and the remaining odd-numbered pins # 3, # 7, # 11, # 15, # 19, and # 23 are not provided because they are not used. That is, in the printhead 1AA of this embodiment, the print wire 11 for the odd pins # 3, # 7, # 11, # 15, # 19, # 23 and the print wire 11 in the printhead 1 ## of FIG. 2 (a). Since the drive mechanism for the printed wire (for example, the moving part, the recovery coil spring 10, the armature 12, the core 151, the coil 152, ...) is not required, the number of parts can be significantly reduced.

Similarly, the even-numbered pins A2, A4, A6, A8, A10, and A12 in the printhead 1AA shown in FIG. 4A are the even-numbered pins # 2, # 6, in the printhead 1 ## shown in FIG. 2A. It corresponds to # 10, # 14, # 18, and # 22, and the remaining even pins # 4, # 8, # 12, # 16, # 20, and # 24 are not provided because they are not used. That is, in the printhead 1AA of this embodiment, the print wire 11 for even pins # 4, # 8, # 12, # 16, # 20, # 24 in the printhead 1 ## of FIG. 2A and the print wire 11 thereof. Since the drive mechanism for the printing wire is not required, the number of parts can be significantly reduced.

Further, as the printhead 1AA of this embodiment, for example, a 12-pin printhead 1AA can be manufactured by using a 24-pin printhead (1 ##) capable of high-speed printing that has already been developed. It is possible to reduce the labor and time required to develop the 12-pin printhead 1AA from the beginning, the mold and assembly device for each part, the time required for assembly, and the like, and to reduce the cost of the printhead.

FIG. 4B is for explaining an operation when printing is performed by the printhead 1AA of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 4A. As shown in FIG. 4 (b), the 12-pin printhead 1AA performs a reciprocating operation to perform a reciprocating operation to perform a 24-pin printhead 1 # described with reference to FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b). It is possible to print in the same way as #.

That is, in the printing by the print head 1AA of this embodiment, for example, the print head 1AA is moved from the left end to the right end of the paper to print 12 dots in one line, and then one pitch (adjacent pins in the vertical direction) is printed. A1 and A2, pins A3 and A4, ..., spacing between pins A11 and A12) Paper is fed (line feed) twice as much as P # (= RA: for example, 2/180 inches or 2/160 inches). As a result, the pins A1 and A2 (pins # 1 and # 2 of the printhead 1 ##) become, for example, the positions of pins # 3 and # 4 in FIG. 2B in the vertical direction. After that, the printhead 1AA is moved from the right edge to the left edge of the paper to print the remaining 12 dots (pins # 3, # 4, # 7, # 8, # 11, # 12, # 15 of the printhead 1 ##). , # 16, # 19, # 20, # 23, # 24), it is possible to print 24 dots for one line.

As described above, the printhead 1AA of the present embodiment prints the outward route, feeds the paper by the line feed pitch RA (= 2 · P #), and then prints the return route (after the line feed). By the printing operation of, it is possible to perform printing equivalent to one printing operation by the 24-pin print head 1 ## described with reference to FIG. 2 (b). It should be noted that the 24-pin printhead 1 ## described with reference to FIG. 2B is used for 24-dot printing (printhead 1 ##) performed by moving the printhead 1 ## from the right edge to the left edge of the paper. For printing on the return path), the 12-pin printhead 1AA of this embodiment is reciprocated once in the same manner as the 24-dot printing performed by moving the printhead 1 ## from the left edge to the right edge of the paper. Print.

That is, when the print head 1 ## is capable of reciprocating printing, the outbound printing of the print head 1 ## corresponds to the printing by the first reciprocating operation by the print head 1AA of this embodiment, and the paper is printed up to the next line. The printing on the outward path of the printhead 1 ## after the printing is performed corresponds to the printing by the second reciprocating operation by the printhead 1AA of this embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a coil arrangement corresponding to a pin number in the print head shown in FIG. 4, and corresponds to FIG. 3 described above. As shown in FIG. 5, the 12 coils 152 (electromagnets) are provided at equal intervals on the circumference centered on the center of the print head in the magnet base 15, and the corresponding pins (printing wires 11) are provided. ) A1 to A12 are driven.

Specifically, in the 12-pin printhead 1AA of the 6-row arrangement shown in FIG. 4A, the odd-numbered pins A1, A3, A5, ..., A11 arranged on the left side are the magnet base 15 shown in FIG. The even-numbered pins A2, A4, A6, ..., A12 driven by the coils 152 (A1, A3, A5, ..., A11) on the right side of FIG. 4A and arranged on the right side of FIG. 4A are shown in FIG. It is driven by the coil 152 (A2, A4, A6, ..., A12) on the left side of the magnet base 15 shown in 1.

As is clear from the comparison between FIGS. 5 and 3, in the 12-pin printhead 1AA of this embodiment, the 12 locations A1 to A12 where the electromagnet (coil 152) is actually provided with respect to the magnet base 15 are At the 24 locations # 1 to # 24 shown in FIG. 3, the twelve print wires 11 can be stably driven because they are dispersed and arranged at substantially equal intervals and the symmetry is maintained. That is, as shown in FIG. 5 (FIG. 3), the coils 152 (electromagnets) that drive the 12 print wires 11 by the printhead 1AA are arranged in distributed positions without being concentrated in the biased positions. Since the symmetry is maintained, the cover can be pressed evenly, and the possibility of adversely affecting printing can be reduced.

As described above, according to the printhead 1AA of this embodiment, for example, pins # 3, # 4, # 7, # 8, # 11, # 12 not used in the printhead 1 ## shown in FIG. 2 (a). , # 15, # 16, # 19, # 20, # 23, # 24, print wire 11 and moving parts (for example, electromagnet (core 151, coil 152), recovery coil spring 10, armature 12 and the like. It is possible to reduce the cost required for the parts and the assembly time because it is not necessary to provide the printhead 1AA of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 4 (a). Efforts and time to develop a 12-pin printhead 1AA from the beginning because it is only necessary to remove unused parts from the 24-pin printhead 1 ## of the array, that is, to assemble without attaching unused parts. It is possible to reduce the cost of the print head by reducing the mold and assembly device of each part, the time required for assembly, and the like.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a modification of the printhead shown in FIG. 4. For example, a 24-pin specification printhead 1 ## already exists, and the 24-pin printhead is used. Shown are examples of manufactured 12-pin, 8-pin and 6-pin printheads. Here, FIG. 6A shows an example of a 12-pin printhead 1AA corresponding to the above-mentioned FIG. 4A, and FIG. 6B shows an example of an 8-pin printhead 1BB. And FIG. 6C shows an example of a 6-pin printhead 1CC.

In FIGS. 6A to 6C, line feed pitches (RA, RB,) performed when switching each printhead (1AA, 1BB, 1CC) from outbound / inbound printing to inbound / outbound printing. RC) is twice the spacing (1 pitch) P # of the vertically adjacent pins of the 24-pin printhead 1 ## (2 · P #). Further, the line feed direction of each print head is opposite to the paper feed direction.

First, the 12-pin printhead 1AA shown in FIG. 6A, the 8-pin printhead 1BB shown in FIG. 6B, and the 6-pin printhead 1CC shown in FIG. 6C, which will be described in detail below. The relationship between the 24-pin printheads 1 ## shown in FIG. 2 (a) is shown in general. Here, assuming that the number of pins of the printhead 1 ##, which is the basis with a large number of pins, is N and an integer of 2 or more divisible by N is M, the 12-pin printhead 1AA has N = 24 and M = 2. In this case, the 8-pin printhead 1BB is for N = 24, M = 3, and the 6-pin printhead 1CC is for N = 24, M = 4.

As will be described in detail below, printing by the 12-pin printhead 1AA performs one reciprocating operation of printing on the outward route or the return route M (= 2) times, that is, printing on the outward route once and printing on the return route once. Will do. In addition, printing by the 8-pin print head 1BB is performed M (= 3) times on the outward route or the return route, that is, printing on the outward route twice and printing on the return route once (or printing on the outward route twice and once). One and a half round trips (1.5 round trips) will be performed. Further, the printing by the 6-pin print head 1CC performs two reciprocating operations of printing on the outward path or the return path M (= 4) times, that is, printing on the outward path twice and printing on the return path twice.

That is, the printheads 1AA, 1BB, and 1CC are used by selecting every M-1 pin from the odd-numbered and even-numbered top pins # 1 and # 2 of the printhead 1 ## which is the base having a large number of pins. Will be done. The print head 1 ##, which is the basis for a large number of pins, may be an existing one for high-speed printing, but for example, the number of pins when developing print heads having different numbers of pins at the same time. It may be a print head with a large number (capable of high-speed printing).

That is, the pins used in the 12-pin printhead 1AA shown in FIG. 6A are the odd-numbered and even-numbered top pins # 1 and # 2 (pins A1) of the printhead 1 ## which is the base having a large number of pins. , A2), select and use every M-1 pin (1 pin). Further, the pins used in the 8-pin printhead 1BB shown in FIG. 6B are the odd-numbered and even-numbered top pins # 1 and # 2 (pins B1) of the printhead 1 ## which is the base having a large number of pins. , B2), select and use every M-1 pin (2). The pins used in the 6-pin printhead 1CC shown in FIG. 6 (c) are the odd-numbered and even-numbered top pins # 1 and # 2 (pins C1) of the printhead 1 ## which is the base having a large number of pins. , C2), select and use every M-1 pin (3).

The 12-pin printhead 1AA shown in FIG. 6A can perform the same printing as the 24-pin printhead 1 ## by performing one reciprocating operation. The details of the 12-pin print head 1AA have been described with reference to FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b), and will be omitted. The print head 1BB shown in FIG. 6 (b) and the print head 1CC shown in FIG. 6 (c) are, for example, the same as the print head 1 shown in FIG. 1, and the print described with reference to FIG. It has the configuration of the head 1. However, in the print head 1BB, only eight print wires 11 for eight pins and their movable parts need to be provided, and in the print head 1CC, six print wires 11 for six pins and their movable parts are provided. It is only necessary to provide a part or the like.

Therefore, the printheads 1BB and 1CC can further reduce the number of parts and the time required for the assembly work as compared with the printhead 1AA shown in FIG. 6A. Further, the printer to which the printhead 1BB or 1CC is applied can reduce the drive capacity of the power supply and the control circuit as compared with the printer to which the printhead 1AA is applied, so that it is possible to further reduce the size and cost. Is.

First, an example of the 8-pin print head 1BB will be described with reference to FIG. 6 (b). As is clear from the comparison between FIGS. 6 (b) and 2 (a), the print head 1BB of this modification is an odd number in the 24-pin print head 1 ## of the 6-row arrangement shown in FIG. 2 (a). And every two pins from the even-numbered top pins # 1 and # 2 (corresponding to pins B1 and B2) are selected and used. That is, when the 8-pin printhead 1BB and the 24-pin printhead 1## of this modification are associated with each other, the pins B1 and B2 correspond to the pins # 1 and # 2, and the pins B3 and B4 correspond to the pins # 7, Pins B5 and B6 correspond to pins # 13 and # 14, and pins B7 and B8 correspond to pins # 19 and # 20.

As described above, the odd pins B1, B3, B5 and B7 in the printhead 1BB shown in FIG. 6B are the odd pins # 1, # 7, # 13 in the printhead 1 ## shown in FIG. 2A. Corresponding to # 19, the remaining odd pins # 3, # 5, # 9, # 11, ..., # 23 are not provided because they are not used. That is, in the print head 1BB of this modification, the print wire 11 for the odd pins # 3, # 5, # 9, # 11, ..., # 23 in the print head 1 ## of FIG. 2A and the printing thereof. The wire drive mechanism (for example, moving part, recovery coil spring 10, armature 12, core 151, coil 152, ...) is no longer required, and it is a component compared to the 12-pin printhead 1AA in FIG. 6 (a). It will be possible to further reduce the points. The even-numbered pins B2, B4, B6, and B8 in the printhead 1BB shown in FIG. 6B are the same as the odd-numbered pins B1, B3, B5, and B7, and the description thereof will be omitted.

The pins B1 to B8 used for the printhead 1BB of this modification are, for example, dispersed positions # 1 and # 2 in the coil arrangements # 1 to # 24 of the printhead 1 ## shown in FIG. 3 described above. , # 7, # 8, # 13, # 14, # 19, # 20 are driven by eight coils 152 (electromagnets), and since the symmetry is maintained, eight print wires 11 are used. It can be driven stably.

Next, the operation when printing is performed by the 8-pin print head 1BB of this modification shown in FIG. 6B will be described. The 8-pin print head 1BB can perform the same printing as the 24-pin print head 1 ## by performing 1.5 reciprocating operations (one reciprocating and a half operation). That is, for printing by the printhead 1BB, for example, the printhead 1BB is moved from the left edge to the right edge of the paper to print 8 dots in one line, and then a line feed pitch RB (= 2 · P #) is used for the line feed. After (feeding the paper), move the printhead 1BB from the right edge to the left edge of the paper to print the next 8 dots (pins # 3, # 4, # 9, # 10, # 15 of the printhead 1 ##). , # 16, # 21, # 22 equivalent to printing).

Furthermore, after a line feed pitch RB is used, the printhead 1BB is moved from the left edge to the right edge of the paper to print the remaining 8 dots (pins # 5, # 6, # 11, # 12, of the printhead 1 ##). By performing (corresponding to printing by # 17, # 18, # 23, # 24), it is possible to print 24 dots for one line.

As described above, the printhead 1BB of this modification prints the outward path, then prints the return path after the line feed pitch RB, and further prints the forward path after the line feed pitch RB. By performing one and a half (1.5 reciprocating) printing operations, it is possible to perform printing equivalent to one printing operation by the 24-pin print head 1 ##.

Next, an example of the 6-pin printhead 1CC will be described with reference to FIG. 6 (c). As is clear from the comparison between FIGS. 6 (c) and 2 (a), the print head 1CC of this modification is an odd number in the 24-pin print head 1 ## of the 6-row arrangement shown in FIG. 2 (a). And every three pins from the even-numbered top pins # 1 and # 2 (corresponding to pins C1 and C2) are selected and used. That is, when the 6-pin printhead 1CC and the 24-pin printhead 1 ## of this modification are associated with each other, the pins C1 and C2 correspond to the pins # 1 and # 2, and the pins C3 and C4 correspond to the pins # 9, It corresponds to # 10, and pins C5 and C6 correspond to pins # 17 and # 18.

As described above, the odd-numbered pins C1, C3, and C5 in the printhead 1CC shown in FIG. 6C correspond to the odd-numbered pins # 1, # 9, and # 17 in the printhead 1 ## shown in FIG. 2A. , The remaining odd pins # 3, # 5, # 7, # 11, ..., # 23 are not provided because they are not used. That is, in the print head 1CC of this modification, the print wire 11 for the odd pins # 3, # 5, # 7, # 11, ..., # 23 in the print head 1 ## of FIG. 2A and the printing thereof. The wire drive mechanism is no longer required, and the number of parts can be further reduced compared to the 12-pin printhead 1AA in FIG. 6 (a) and the 8-pin printhead 1BB in FIG. 6 (b). Become. The even-numbered pins C2, C4, and C6 in the printhead 1CC shown in FIG. 6C are the same as the odd-numbered pins C1, C3, and C5, and the description thereof will be omitted.

Further, the operation when printing is performed by the 6-pin print head 1CC of this modification shown in FIG. 6 (c) will be described. The 6-pin print head 1CC can perform the same printing as the 24-pin print head 1 ## by performing two reciprocating operations (reciprocating operation twice). That is, for printing by the printhead 1CC, for example, the printhead 1CC is moved from the left end to the right end of the paper to print 6 dots in one line, and after a line feed pitch RC (= 2 · P #), a line feed is performed. Move the printhead 1CC from the right edge to the left edge of the paper to print the next 6 dots (corresponding to printing by pins # 3, # 4, # 11, # 12, # 19, # 20 of printhead 1 ##). I do.

Further, after the line feed pitch RC is broken, the print head 1CC is moved from the left edge to the right edge of the paper to print the next 6 dots (pins # 5, # 6, # 13, # 14 of the print head 1 ##). , # 21, # 22 equivalent to printing), line feed pitch RC, and then move the printhead 1CC from the right edge to the left edge of the paper to print the remaining 6 dots (pin of printhead 1 ##). By performing (corresponding to printing by # 7, # 8, # 15, # 16, # 23, # 24), it is possible to print 24 dots for one line. That is, the printhead 1CC of the present modification can perform printing equivalent to one printing operation by the 24-pin printhead 1 ## by the printing operation of two round trips. It should be noted that the 12-pin printhead 1AA, the 8-pin printhead 1BB, and the 6-pin printhead 1CC with respect to the 24-pin printhead 1 ## described above are merely examples, and it goes without saying that various modifications and changes are possible. Nor.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining an example of a printhead to which the present invention can be applied, and shows an example in which a 24-pin (specification) printhead is used as a 12-pin printhead. Here, FIG. 7A shows the pin arrangement of the 12-pin printhead 1DD manufactured by using the 24-pin printhead of the linear arrangement, and FIG. 7C shows the 24-pin print of the diamond-shaped arrangement. The pin arrangement of the 12-pin print head 1EE manufactured by using the head is shown. Note that FIG. 7B corresponds to FIG. 6A described above, and shows the pin arrangement of the 12-pin printhead 1AA manufactured by using the 24-pin printhead 1 ## in a 6-row arrangement. show.

As shown in FIGS. 7 (a) to 7 (c), the application of the print head according to the present invention is not limited to the print head 1AA having a 6-row arrangement shown in FIG. 7 (b), for example, FIG. 7. It can be widely applied to various printheads including the linear array printhead 1DD shown in (a) and the diamond-shaped printhead 1EE shown in FIG. 7 (c). Further, the application of the printhead according to the present invention is similarly to the same as described with reference to FIGS. 6 (a) to 6 (c), for example, to a linear array printhead 1DD and a diamond-shaped array printhead 1EE. However, it goes without saying that it can be configured as an 8-pin and 6-pin printhead.

As described above, according to the printhead according to the present embodiment, for example, when a printhead having a large number of pins (for example, 24 pins) capable of high-speed printing already exists, the number of pins is newly small (for example). , 12-pin, 8-pin, 6-pin) printheads can be saved and manufactured at low cost. That is, for example, in the development of a 12-pin specification print head, it is possible to reduce the development investment and development man-hours for developing new parts, which were necessary in the conventional technology, and for example, the 24-pin specification print. By using the same parts as the parts applied in the head, the unit price of the parts can be reduced, and the cost of the print head with both 24-pin and 12-pin specifications can be reduced.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a main part of an embodiment of the printer according to the present invention, for example, a dot to which the printhead 1AA described with reference to FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b) is applied. It shows the main part of an example of an impact type printer 100. As shown in FIG. 8, the printer 100 of this embodiment has a print head 1AA, a printer control unit 2, and a print image buffer (frame memory) 3.

The printer control unit 2 includes a head control wave forming unit 21 and a printhead control circuit 22. The print image buffer 3 receives print data from the outside, expands it into a dot image, and holds it, for example. The head control wave forming unit 21 receives the print data expanded into a dot image from the print image buffer 3 and generates a waveform (signal) for controlling the print head 1AA, and the print head control circuit 22 receives the head control wave. The printhead 1AA is controlled based on the signal from the forming unit 21.

Although not shown, the printer 100 further has a mechanism for controlling the paper for a single sheet or a continuous book, a mechanism for sending an ink ribbon for printing on the first sheet of paper, or communication with the outside and print data. It goes without saying that it includes various configurations for receiving. Further, the printing by the print head 1AA is not limited to characters and numbers, and may be various codes and figures such as barcodes and QR codes (registered trademarks). Further, the printer of this embodiment is not limited to the one having the configuration of FIG. 8, and may be, for example, various dot impact printers to which the printhead of the present embodiment or a modification thereof described above is applied. ..

As described above, for example, when the printer 100 is manufactured by applying the 12-pin printhead 1AA of the present embodiment, the power supply and the printhead are driven as compared with the case of applying the 24-pin printhead 1 ## described above. It is possible to reduce the capacity of the circuit to be used, to reduce the size of the power supply, and to reduce the size and cost of the printer. That is, according to this embodiment, although the printing speed is lowered, the printing head is reduced in cost by eliminating the trouble of developing and manufacturing a new print head having a small number of pins while suppressing the deterioration of the printing quality. The printer can be made smaller and cheaper.

Although the embodiments (Examples) have been described above, all the examples and conditions described here are described for the purpose of assisting the understanding of the concept of the invention applied to the invention and the technique, and are particularly described. The examples and conditions are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Nor does such description in the specification indicate the advantages and disadvantages of the invention. Although embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, it should be understood that various modifications, replacements and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

1,1 ##, 1AA, 1BB, 1CC, 1DD, 1EE Printhead 2 Printer control unit 3 Print image buffer 10 Restoration coil spring 11 Print wire 12 Armature 13 Wire guide 14 Stopper 15 Magnet base 16 Abutment pin 17 Cover 18 Print Board 21 Head control wave forming unit 22 Print head control circuit 100 Printer 151 Core 152 Coil

Claims (10)

An N / M pin printhead, where N is the number of pins of the underlying printhead and M is an integer greater than or equal to 2 that is divisible by N.
Odd and even top-level pins in the underlying printhead,
The underlying printhead comprises a total of N / M-2 odd and even pins selected every M-1 from the odd and even top pins.
Printing with a total of N / M-2 odd and even pins selected every M-1 from the odd and even top pins and the odd and even top pins. Perform M times on the outward or inbound route of the N / M pin printhead.
A dot-impact print head that features this. Printing with a total of N / M-2 odd and even pins selected every M-1 from the odd and even top pins and the odd and even top pins. When performing M times on the outward or inbound route of the N / M pin printhead
Between the outward trip and the return trip, the printhead of the N / M pin is broken by twice the distance between the pins vertically adjacent to each other in the underlying printhead.
The print head according to claim 1. From the odd and even top pins and the odd and even top pins to a total of N / M-2 non-odd and even pins selected every M-1. The corresponding print wire and the drive mechanism of the print wire are not required.
The printhead according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the printhead is characterized in that. The print wire drive mechanism includes a moving part for driving the print wire, a recovery coil spring, an armature, and an electromagnet.
The print head according to claim 3. The positions of the coils of the electromagnet are provided at equal intervals on the circumference centered on the center of the base print head in the magnet base of the base print head.
The odd and even top pins and a total of N / M-2 odd and even pins selected every M-1 from the odd and even top pins. The coils are arranged in the magnet base at distributed positions of the coil positions of the electromagnet.
The print head according to claim 4. The N is 24, and the underlying printhead is a 24-pin specification printhead.
The M is 2, and the N / M pin printhead is a 12-pin specification printhead.
The 12-pin print head is operated once to print one line.
The print head according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The N is 24, and the underlying printhead is a 24-pin specification printhead.
The M is 3, and the N / M pin printhead is an 8-pin specification printhead.
The 8-pin print head is operated 1.5 times to print one line.
The print head according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The N is 24, and the underlying printhead is a 24-pin specification printhead.
The M is 4, and the N / M pin printhead is a 6-pin specification printhead.
The 6-pin print head is operated twice to print one line.
The print head according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The underlying printhead is in a 6-row array divided into 6 rows.
The print head according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the print head is characterized in that. The printhead according to any one of claims 1 to 9.
A dot-impact printer that features this.

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