JPH0323128A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform smooth printing by a method wherein a hopper for containing cut sheets to be used for printing is automatically selected based on data from a host machine as well as a controller for driving and controlling a switching means to switch to the hopper to be used is provided. CONSTITUTION:Prior to information to be printed from a host machine 3 data indicating the size of cut sheets to be used for printing is transmitted to a controller 4 of a printer. This controller 4 selected hoppers 2A, 2B containing specific sizes of cut sheets based on this data and operated a switching means 10 to set cut sheets 1 in a printing unit 5. Then the controller 4 drives the printing unit 5 to print information from the upper machine on the det sheets 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a printer device, and particularly to a printer device suitable for using a mixture of cut sheets of different sizes. [Prior Art] Conventionally, in printers that print on this type of cut paper,
Multiple types of cassette-type hoppers pre-stored with sheets of the same size are removably attached to a mounting opening provided at one end of the device body. Furthermore,
A switching means for selecting the hopper containing the cut sheet used for printing from the hoppers set in this installation port is provided inside the apparatus body, and a manual switching switch is used to drive this switching means. is installed in a location that can be operated by the operator. Also,
It is provided with a paper feeding means for feeding the cut sheet stored in the selected hopper to a printing section, and a printing section that prints information from the host machine.

When printing information from a higher-end machine, the operator himself operated a changeover switch to set the hopper to be used, and then began printing. [Problem to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the above conventional example, the operator must select the cut sheet of the size used for printing and select the cut sheet to be fed to the printing section. Therefore, when printing information from a higher-end machine on multiple types of paper of different sizes, the operator had to switch the hopper himself each time, which was cumbersome. For this reason, the printing operation had to be temporarily stopped each time the cut sheet changed, resulting in the inconvenience of not being able to print smoothly. [Object of the Invention] An object of the present invention is to provide a printer device that can improve the inconveniences seen in the conventional example and automatically select hoppers for cut sheets of different sizes to perform smooth printing. Our goal is to provide the following.

[Means to solve the problem]

In the present invention, there is provided a switching means for selecting a plurality of types of hoppers that store cut sheets of the same size, a hopper that stores cut sheets of the size used for printing, and a switching means for selecting a hopper that stores cut sheets of the size used for printing. The printer has a printing unit that prints information on the printer, and a paper feeding unit that feeds the cut sheets stored in the hopper to the printing unit. The system automatically selects the hopper containing the cut sheets to be used for printing based on data from the host machine, and is equipped with a control section that drives and controls the switching means. This aims to achieve the above-mentioned purpose.

[For production]

Prior to printing information from the host machine, data representing the size of the cut sheet to be printed is sent to the control unit of the printer device. Based on this data, the control section selects a hopper that stores a cut sheet of a predetermined size, operates a switching means, and sets the sheet.

Once the paper is set, the control section drives the printing section to print information from the host machine. When sheets of different sizes are used together, the host machine sends a command indicating the size of the sheet to be used each time to the control unit, and automatically adjusts the size of the sheet. Select and set paper. [Embodiment of the Invention] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 1 and 2. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of types of hoppers 2A, 2B, .
. . , and hopper 2A that stores cut sheets 1 used for printing. 2B, a printing section 5 that prints information from a computer, etc., which is a host machine 3, on a cut sheet l, and a printing section 5 that prints the cut sheet 1 stored in the hoppers 2A and 2B to the printing section 5. It has a paper feeding means l1 for feeding paper. It is equipped with a control section 4 that automatically selects the hoppers 2A and 2B storing the cut sheets 1 used for printing based on the data D from the host machine 3, and drives and controls the switching means 10. ing. Here, a hopper 2A. 2B is used by setting it in the printer device 100 in a cassette type. Therefore, prepare in advance multiple types of hoppers 2A, 2B, etc. that store paper of the required size, and prepare hoppers 2A, 2B, etc. of the sizes that may be used.
You only need to set 2B. Although FIG. 1 shows a printer device 100 in which two types of hoppers 2A and 2B can be set, more hoppers 2A and 2 can be installed as needed.
The printer device 100 in which B... can be set can be considered in exactly the same way.

Next, I will explain the operation. The operator uses multiple types of cassette-type hoppers 2A and 2 that store cut sheets 1 of a certain size for use in advance.
B... are prepared, and the hoppers 2A and 2B containing the cut sheets 1 to be actually used are set in the printer device 100. As shown in FIG. 2, the host machine 3 sends data DA° representing the size of the cut sheet 1 used for printing to the printer device 100 prior to printing information.
The information is transmitted to the control unit 4 of the controller. Based on this data, the control unit 4 selects the hoppers 2A and 2B that house the cut sheets of a predetermined size, operates the switching means 10, and switches the hoppers 2A to 2B. Set 2B. When the paper is set, the control section 4 drives the printing section 5 to print the information from the host machine 3. When sheets of different sizes are used together, a command is sent each time from the host machine 3 to the control unit 4, and the sheet 1 is automatically selected and set. do. [Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the present invention automatically selects the hopper storing the cut sheets to be used for printing based on data from the host machine, and also controls the switching means. It is equipped with a control unit that switches the hopper to be used.
Therefore, even when using a mixture of paper sheets of different sizes, the hopper to be used can be automatically selected and set based on commands from the host machine, without the operator's intervention as in the past. Therefore, it is possible to provide an unprecedented and excellent printer device that performs smooth printing.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the contents of data sent from a host machine to a control unit of a printing device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A switching means for selecting a plurality of types of hoppers that store cut sheets of the same size, a hopper that stores cut sheets used for printing, and information from a higher-level machine on the cut sheets. In a printer device that has a printing section that prints a sheet of paper, and a paper feeding means that feeds the sheet of paper stored in the hopper to the printing section, the sheet of paper that is used for printing is selected based on data from the host machine. A printer device comprising a control section that automatically selects a stored hopper and drives and controls the switching means.