JPH034392B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for driving a printing device, and more particularly to an improvement in a method for driving a printing paper (medium) insertion and ejection mechanism.

There are printing devices such as line printers and bankbook printing devices as output devices of information processing devices and the like.

The printing section in such a printing device has conventionally had the structure shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a print head, 2 is a platen, 3 and 3' are print paper guides, 4 is an optical sensor,
5, 5' are pinch rollers, 6 is an optical sensor, 7
8 is a printing paper stopper, 8 is a movable printing paper guide, 9 is a magnetic plunger for driving the movable printing paper guide 8, and 10 and 10' are printing paper pathways. And 11 is printing paper (medium)
It is.

In such a printing device, printing paper (medium) 11 is inserted from above between printing paper guides 3 and 3'. And printing paper stopper 7
When the optical sensor 6 detects the lower end of the printing paper 11, the detection signal causes the pinch rollers 5 and 5' to press against the printing paper 11, and the printing paper stopper 7 retreats or rotates. away from the bottom edge of the printing paper 11. Then, the pinch roller 5 (and 5') is
The driven printing paper 11 is sent downward. When the upper end of the printing paper 11 is detected by the optical sensor 4, the pinch roller 5 (and 5') is stopped by this detection signal. Next, the print head 1 performs a desired printing process on the print paper 11.

When sending the printing paper 11 downward, the movable printing paper guide 8 is moved by a magnetic plunger 9 that is driven based on a detection signal from the optical sensor 6.
is driven upward (towards the print head 1) to guide the print paper 11 to the print paper pathway 10.

In the printing apparatus shown in FIG. 2, the pinch rollers 5 and 5', the optical sensor 6, and the printing paper stopper 7 are located below the printing head 1 and the platen 2.

Even in such a printing device, the printing paper guide 3
The printing paper 11 inserted between and 3' is stopped by the printing paper stopper 7. When the optical sensor 6 detects the lower end of the printing paper 11, the detection signal causes the pinch roller 5 to
and 5' are brought into pressure contact with the printing paper 11, and the printing paper stopper is separated from the lower end of the printing paper 11. The pinch rollers 5 (and 5') are driven by this detection signal, and the printing paper 11 is sent downward.

When the upper end of the printing paper 11 is detected by the optical sensor 4, the pinch roller 5 (and 5') is stopped by this detection signal. Next, the print head 1 performs a desired printing process on the print paper 11.

When sending the printing paper 11 downward, the movable printing paper guide 8 is driven upward (towards the printing head 1) by the magnetic plunger 9, which is driven based on a detection signal from the optical sensor 6, and the printing paper 11 is moved upward (towards the printing head 1). is guided to the printing paper pathway 10.

In such a printing device, the movable printing paper guide 8 is effective in guiding the printing paper 11;
In order to guide the entire printed surface of the magnetic plunger 9, a larger driving force is required for the magnetic plunger 9. Furthermore, since the printing paper 11 is inserted and the movable printing paper guide 8 is operated to guide the printing paper 11 in the direction of the printing paper pathway 10 and perform the post-printing operation, the printing paper insertion (suction) time becomes longer. , it is difficult to increase the efficiency of printing processing. Furthermore, in the printing apparatus shown in FIG. 2, printing cannot be performed while the movable printing paper guide 8 is in operation (while the medium is being set), making it impossible to further improve the printing processing efficiency.

The present invention eliminates the drawbacks of the printing paper guide mechanism in conventional printing devices, and provides a printing device that can shorten the insertion (absorption) time of printing paper and the printing processing time by using a simpler mechanism. The present invention aims to provide a driving method.

Therefore, according to the present invention, at least one of the guide section that guides the inserted printing paper and the print head and platen provided at the guide destination of the guide section can be brought into contact with and separated from the other. a pair of pinch rollers that move in a direction to pinch the printing paper and convey it in the take-in and discharge directions when the printing paper is guided by the guide section; , a printing paper stopper that locks the printing paper in a predetermined position, a first printing paper detector that detects that the printing paper has been inserted, and that the printing paper has come to the locking position of the printing paper stopper. and a second printing paper detector for detecting the printing paper, the printing apparatus positions the inserted printing paper by the conveying operation of the pinch roller in the take-in and ejection direction, and performs printing using the printing head and the platen. The pinch roller starts rotating at a separate position in response to the print paper detector detecting the print paper, and the rotation of the pinch roller is stopped in response to the second print paper detector detecting the print paper. However, there is provided a method for driving a printing apparatus in which the printing paper stopper is moved to a contact position and held, and the printing paper stopper is oscillated and retracted to carry out a conveyance operation.

The present invention will be explained in detail below using examples.

FIG. 3 shows the printing mechanism of the printing device according to the present invention.

In the figure, 31 is a print head, 32 is a platen, 33 and 33' are printing paper (medium) guides,
34 is an optical sensor. Further, 35 is a printing paper stopper rotatably supported by a shaft 35A;
36 is an optical center, 37 and 37' are pinch rollers, and 38 is a plunger magnet (not shown) that pivotally supports the pinch roller 37 and attracts the spring 39 in the opposite direction to the spring 39 around the shaft 38A. Lever rotated by suction, 40, 4
0' is a printing paper pathway, and 41 is a printing paper (medium).

The optical sensors 34 and 36 are transmission-type or reflection-type optical sensors, and the pinch rollers 37 and 37' are each connected to a motor (not shown) directly or through a gear, etc. It can be rotated both clockwise and counterclockwise. Further, the printing paper stopper 35 can be linked with the operation of a lever 38, and the pinch roller 37 can be moved by the operation of the lever 38.
When the paper contacts the pinch roller 37' and rotates, the printing paper stopper 35 rotates clockwise in the drawing and escapes from the printing paper reverse path.

In such a printing device, printing paper 41
is inserted between the printing paper guides 33 and 33', this is detected by the optical sensor 34. In response to the detection signal from the optical sensor 34, the pinch rollers 37 and 37' rotate inwardly, that is, in the printing paper pathway direction, while being separated from each other. That is, the lever 38 is attracted by the magnetic plunger in a direction opposite to the direction in which the spring 39 is attracted. Due to the rotation of the pinch rollers 37, 37', the printing paper 41 is guided between the printing paper pathways 40 and 40' in a direction in which curling, if any, exists at its leading edge is corrected.

When the leading edge of the printing paper 41 is stopped by the printing paper stopper 35 and the lower end of the printing paper 41 is detected by the optical sensor 36, the rotation of the pinch rollers 37, 37' is stopped by this detection signal. .

Next, the operation of the plunger magnet is stopped, the pinch roller 37 is pressed against the pinch roller 37' with the printing paper 41 sandwiched therebetween by the suction of the spring 39, and the printing paper stopper 35 is rotated. It separates from the bottom edge of the printing paper 41.

The pinch rollers 37 and 37' then rotate and the printing paper 41 is fed between the printing paper pathways 40 and 40'.

The upper end of the printing paper 41 is connected to the optical sensor 34.
When detected, the rotation of the pinch rollers 37 and 37' is stopped by this detection signal or after a predetermined period of time has passed since the detection, and the printing paper 41 is stopped.
feeding operation is stopped.

Thereafter, printing processing is performed on the printing paper 41 by the printing head 31.

Print paper 41 that has undergone predetermined printing processing
When discharging the print paper 41, the pinch rollers 37 and 37' rotate in the opposite direction to the direction in which the print paper was taken in based on the print end signal, and send the print paper 41 upward.

The lower end of the printing paper 41 is connected to the optical sensor 36.
When the rotation of the pinch rollers 37, 37' is stopped by the detection signal, a suction operation of a plunger magnet (not shown) is performed, the lever 38 is rotated, and the pinch roller 37 is stopped. As the printing paper stopper 35 is released from the roller 37', the printing paper stopper 35 is inserted into the printing paper feeding path.

The printing method according to the present invention does not require the movable printing paper guide in the conventional printing mechanism. Therefore, the mechanical parts constituting the movable printing paper guide and the plunger magnet for driving the same are unnecessary, and the printing apparatus can be mass-produced, lowered in price, and improved in reliability.

Further, since the printing paper is directly fed by the pinch roller without using the movable printing paper guide, the time for inserting (sucking) the printing paper can be shortened, and the printing process can be made more efficient.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 are diagrams showing the configuration of a conventional printing device, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a printing device according to the present invention. In the figure, 1, 31... print head, 2, 3
2... Platen, 5, 5', 37, 37'... Pinch roller, 4, 6, 34, 36... Optical sensor, 11, 41... Print paper (medium).

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A guide section that guides the inserted printing paper;
At least one of the printing head and platen provided at the guide destination of the guide section is configured to be able to come into contact with and separate from the other, and when the printing paper is guided by the guide section, the printing paper a pair of pinch rollers that move in the direction of pinching the paper and convey it in the take-in and ejection directions; a print paper stopper that is provided after the pinch rollers and that locks the print paper in a predetermined position; a first printing paper detector for detecting that the printing paper has been inserted, and a second printing paper detector for detecting that the printing paper has come to the locking position of the printing paper stopper, In a printing device that performs printing using the print head and platen, which is positioned by the conveying operation of the roller in the take-in and discharge direction, the pinch roller is moved to a separated position in response to the first print paper detector detecting the print paper. The pinch roller starts rotating, and when the second printing paper detector detects the printing paper, stops the rotation of the pinch roller, moves to a contact position and pinches the paper, and swings and retracts the printing paper stopper. , a method of driving a printing device characterized by performing a conveyance operation.