JPH0584226B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a thermal printing device used as an output device for a host computer, typewriter, or the like.

Conventional technology A conventional thermal head has two rows of heat generating resistor elements to improve printing speed. One row of the heat generating resistor elements is driven to generate heat, and the other row of heat generating resistor elements is activated using the cooling time. It was being driven and printing.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a printing device having a general thermal head. In Figure 4, 5
6 is a storage means for storing character fonts and control programs; 7 is a carriage motor drive means 8 for driving a carriage motor; and a thermal head drive means 9 for driving a thermal head.
This is a control means for controlling the above-mentioned data input means 5 and storage means 6 using data.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a general thermal printing device. In FIG. 5, 10 is a thermal head having two rows of heating resistor elements, 11 is an ink ribbon cassette containing an ink ribbon 12, and the ink on the ink ribbon 12 is melted by the heat of the heating resistor elements of the thermal head 10. Platen 1
Printing is performed on paper 13 wound around 7. 14 is the thermal head 10 and the ink ribbon cassette 1
1, and is moved via a timing belt 16 by rotating a carriage motor pulley 15 by rotation of a carriage motor (not shown).

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a conventional thermal head 10. 1 is the heating resistor element on the left side (hereinafter referred to as the left head), and 2 is the heating resistor element on the right side (hereinafter referred to as the left head).
(referred to as the right head), and a plurality of them are arranged vertically. 3 is a signal line for passing current through each heating resistor element, and 4 is a common line. _P0 is the dot size of the right and left heads, ie, the dot pitch in the direction of movement of the thermal head, P is the pitch between the right and left heads, and P is set so that P=(2n) _P0 .

Here, n is a positive integer, and the term (2n) is because the left head or right head actually prints every second dot, so it must be multiplied by an even number.

Furthermore, various printing modes differ in the number of characters printed per unit length (for example, 10 characters per inch for Pica and 12 characters per inch for Elite)
In the case where printing is possible, the storage means 6
8, each is provided with various character fonts as shown in FIG.

In the conventional thermal printing apparatus configured as described above, the printing operation when printing in various printing modes will be explained according to the flowchart of FIG. 7.

First, in step (a), print data is input to the data input means, and in step (b), the control means determines whether the input print data is in print mode A shown in FIG. 8 or in print mode B. If the print mode is A, set the character font of print mode A in step (c), and if the print mode is B, set the character font of print mode B in step (d). ) to set a predetermined amount of space (for example, 2 dots), and as shown in Figure 8, in step (F), which determines the character size a or b including the amount of space, the character size to be printed on the left head is determined. If it is left head printing, then in step (T) the left head is driven by the thermal head driving means to perform printing, and the process moves to step (T). Also, if it is determined in step (F) that printing is not to be performed on the left head, the process similarly moves to step (H). In step (ch), it is determined whether or not printing has finished. If not, in step (ri), the carriage is moved by the carriage motor drive means to move the thermal head by one dot, that is, _P0 , and in step (nu). It is determined whether or not to print on the right head, and if it is determined that printing is to be performed on the right head, printing is performed on the right head at step (R), and the process moves to step (W). Also, if it is determined in step (N) that printing is not to be performed on the right head, the process similarly moves to step (W). In step (w), as in step (ch), it is determined whether or not printing is finished. If printing is not finished, in step (wa), the thermal head is moved by one dot, that is, _P0, in the same way as in step (ri). Return to step (F).

With the above operations, the thermal head 10 is moved in the direction of arrow C as shown in FIG. 9, and the character structure shown in print mode A in FIG. To print,
Printing was performed in the order of L ₁ → L ₂ → L ₃ → R ₄ → L ₅ → R ₆ → R ₇ . However, L ₁ , L ₂ , L ₃ , and L ₅ were printed by the left head 1, and R ₄ , R ₆ , and R ₇ were printed by the right head 2.

However, in FIG. 9, left head 1 and right head 2 correspond to left head 1 and right head in FIG. The reason that the positions of left head 1 and right head 2 are reversed in Figures 6 and 9 is that Figure 6 is a front view of the thermal head, while Figure 9 is a rear view. This is because it is a thing.

In addition, the storage means 6 does not include character fonts corresponding to various printing modes (pica, elite, etc.), and in cases where only a single character font is provided, the amount of space between characters may be changed. Therefore, printing was performed in various printing modes as described above. The printing operation is shown in the flowchart of FIG. 10 below.

In this operation, the character font is set at step (key), and the character font is set at step (y) and step (tap).
Since the operations are similar to those in the flowchart shown in FIG. 7 except for setting the space amount suitable for each print mode, detailed explanation will be omitted.

As explained above, in conventional thermal printing devices, when the number of characters to be printed per unit length is to print in different printing modes, either the character font of each printing mode is used, or the number of characters printed in the same character font is spaced. They responded by changing the amount.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention As described above, conventional thermal printing devices are equipped with character fonts for each printing mode, and when changing the number of characters printed per unit length, the memory for storing character fonts has a large capacity. Is required.

Also, when printing by changing the number of characters printed per unit length by changing the spacing between characters in the same character font, there are problems such as the spacing between characters being small compared to the character size and making the printing difficult to read. It was hot.

The present invention provides a thermal printing device for solving these problems.

Measures to solve the problem The pitch between the heating resistor element groups arranged in two parallel rows of the thermal head is set to an even multiple of the least common multiple of the dot pitches of multiple printing modes, and the pitch is adjusted according to the set printing mode. By changing the dot pitch to be printed, printing can be performed in various printing modes using the same character font stored in the storage means.

Effects With the above configuration, it is possible to change the print width with one type of font by changing the dot pitch, which requires less memory capacity, and also reduces the space between characters, which may make the print difficult to read. It is intended to solve certain problems.

Embodiment FIG. 1 shows an enlarged view of a thermal head of a thermal printing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, P' is the pitch between the left head 1 and the right head 2, and the configuration is the same as that of a conventional thermal head except for this pitch difference. Figure 3 shows the same character font with different dot pitches: print mode A with character size a, including the amount of space for dot pitch P _A , and print mode _B , character size b, including the amount of space for dot pitch P B. FIG. In Fig. 1, when printing in various printing modes by changing the dot pitch using the same character font, the pitch P' between left head 1 and right head 2 is P' = (2 m )・P _A P′=(2k)・P _B holds.

Here, m and k are positive integers, and the term (2m) or (2k) in the above equation must be multiplied by an even number because the left head or right head actually prints every second dot. It's for a reason.

In order to satisfy the above two equations, the values of k and m may be arbitrarily determined so that P _A /P _B =k/m.

That is, if the least common multiple of the dot pitches P _A and P _B is P _C , then the pitch e' between the left head 1 and the right head 2 satisfies e'=(2N)·P _C .

Here, N is a positive integer because the term (2N) in the above equation must be multiplied by an even number in order for the left or right head to actually print every second dot.

The operation of printing per unit length using the printing apparatus equipped with the thermal head of the present invention constructed as described above will be explained according to the flowchart shown in FIG.

First, in step (A), print data is input into the data input means, in step (K), the character font stored in the storage means is set, and in step (E), the amount of space (for example, 2 dots) is set. Set. Then, the data input in step (B) is printed in print mode A.
If the print mode is A, set the dot pitch shown in Figure 3 to P _A in step (re), and if the print mode is B,
Similarly, set the dot pitch P _B shown in FIG. Then, in step (F), it is determined whether the print is to be made on the left head or not, and if the print is on the left head,
In step (t), printing is performed using the head driven by the thermal head driving means, and the process moves to step (t). Also, if it is determined in step (F) that printing is not done on the left head, the process moves to step (H).

In step (ch), it is determined whether or not printing has ended. If printing has not ended, in step (tsu), the pitch P _A set in step (re) or step (g) is determined.
Alternatively, at P _B, the carriage is moved by the carriage motor drive means, and the thermal head is moved by one dot pitch. Then, it is determined whether the step (N) is to be printed on the right head or not, and if it is printing on the right head, printing is performed on the right head in the same way as step (T) at step (LE), and at step (W), the step (CH) is printed. )
In the same way as above, determine whether printing has finished, and if printing is not finished, turn the thermal head 1 in the same way as in step (t).
Move by the dot pitch and return to step (F).

With the above operations, the font size a shown in Figure 3 is
Print mode A for character size B or print mode B for character size b
It is possible to print with .

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, the pitch between the heating resistor element groups arranged in two rows in parallel in the thermal head is set to an even multiple of the least common multiple of the dot pitches of a plurality of printing modes. The dot pitch to be printed is changed according to the print mode set, and printing can be performed in various print modes using the same character font stored in the storage means, and the memory capacity for storing character fonts can be reduced.
In addition, it is possible to solve problems such as the space between characters being small compared to the character size and making the print difficult to see only in certain print modes.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an enlarged front view of a main part of a thermal head of a thermal printing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a flowchart explaining the operation of the thermal printing device, and Fig. 3 is a printing pattern of the thermal printing device. 4 is a block diagram of a general thermal printing device, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the same thermal printing device, and FIG. 6 is an enlarged front view of main parts of a thermal head of a conventional thermal printing device. FIG. 7 is a flowchart explaining the operation of the thermal printing device, and FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the printing font of the thermal printing device.
FIG. 9 is a front view showing the operation of the thermal printing device, FIG. 10 is a flowchart explaining the operation of the thermal printing device, and FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the printing font of the thermal printing device. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Left heating resistor element, 2... Right heating resistor element, 5... Data input means, 6... Storage means, 7... Control means, 8... Carriage motor drive means, 9... Thermal Head driving means, 1
0...Sernal head.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A data input means for inputting print data, a storage means for storing character fonts and a control program, a carriage motor drive means for driving a carriage motor, a thermal head having two rows of heating resistor elements arranged in parallel, and Thermal head driving means for driving the thermal head changes the dot pitch to be printed according to the set printing mode among a plurality of printing modes in which the dot pitch of characters to be printed differs, and prints the same dot pitch stored in the storage means. 1. A thermal printing device, comprising a control means for printing using a character font, and wherein the pitch between the heating resistor element groups of the thermal head is set to an even multiple of the least common multiple of dot pitches in each of the printing modes.