JPH0631967A - Thermal printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a thermal printer wherein adjustment is not necessary at all times by previously printing a bar code capable of discriminating type of paper and format on a thermal paper and reading the bar code at feeding the thermal paper so as to control a thermal recording means. CONSTITUTION:A thermal printer comprises a read means (photo-interrupter) 12 for reading a bar code from a thermal paper and a control means (one chip microcomputer) 21 for controlling a thermal record means (having a thermal head 14 and a feed motor 15) based on information from the bar code.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thermal printer, and more specifically, it applies a current to a resistor of a thermal head,
The present invention relates to a thermal printer in which color recording is performed by applying the Joule heat to a thermal recording paper.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, thermal paper and thermal copying paper used for this type of thermal printer (hereinafter referred to as thermal paper)
Different manufacturers have different printing densities, copy paper types, and formats, and in order to correct such printing density differences, the user must manually operate the changeover switch and adjust the density volume for each thermal type. It has been done for each printer.

[0003]

However, as in the case of the above-mentioned conventional example, it is erroneous if the user adjusts the density volume and the switch operation each time depending on the type and format of the thermal paper. However, there was a drawback that accurate adjustment could not be expected.

An object of the present invention is to pay attention to such a conventional problem, and in order to solve the problem, information which can identify the type and recording format of the thermal paper is printed in advance as a bar code, for example. Every time, by scanning the barcode with a thermal printer,
It is to provide a thermal printer capable of obtaining optimum recording corresponding to each.

[0005]

In order to achieve such an object, the present invention provides a thermal printer capable of thermal recording on thermal paper, a reading means for reading a bar code previously printed on the thermal paper, and the reading means. And a control means for controlling the heat-sensitive recording means based on the information of the bar code read by the means.

[0006]

According to the present invention, when the thermal paper is fed, the bar code on the paper is read by the reading means and the thermal recording means is controlled by the control means so as to adapt to the information. Proper thermal recording can be obtained without adjustment even if the paper type is different.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail and specifically below with reference to the drawings.

A thermal printer for a handy terminal will be described below as a preferred example of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows an example of two sheets of thermal copying paper for a handy terminal. There are two types of thermal paper of this type, as shown in FIG. 7, depending on the format, as shown in FIG. 7A, and as shown in FIG. 7B. Also in this case, the print area P and the print prohibition area NP are set. And in the case of this example,
As shown in FIG. 1, a bar code 2 for identifying the type and quality of the paper is pre-written in the print prohibited area NP of the thermal paper 1, and, for example, a filing stop hole 3 and the like are formed. .

2 and 3 show the construction of a thermal printer for a handy terminal according to the present invention.
In these figures, 10 is the printer section. 1
Reference numeral 1 is a thermal paper insertion path, 12 is a photointerrupter that is provided along the insertion path 11, and that can read the barcode 2 from the thermal paper 1 (see FIG. 1) inserted in the insertion path 11, and 13 is an insertion path. A platen that holds the formed thermal paper and guides the thermal paper to a recording position by the thermal head 14 by its rotation, and a feed motor 15 for sheet feeding.

FIG. 4 shows the construction of the photo interrupter 12 for reading the bar code described above. Where 12A
Reference numerals 12B and 12B denote a light emitting element (light emitting diode) and a light receiving element (phototransistor) that constitute the photo interrupter 12, and 12C denotes a condenser lens. Thus, the barcode 2 is placed on the thermal paper 1 inserted in the insertion path 11.
(See FIG. 1) can be read by these photo interrupter mechanisms, and the volume of the thermal head 14 is adjusted by the control means described later according to the information from the read barcode 2 to obtain a density suitable for the thermal paper. To ensure proper recording and copying.

FIG. 5 shows a circuit configuration of the printer unit 10 according to the present invention. 21 is C together with storage device ROM and RAM
It is a one-chip microcomputer having a PU function, and is configured to be able to send and receive various signals to and from other functional units via the interface connector 22. In the case of this example, the information read from the thermal paper 1 by the photo interrupter 12 is input to the one-chip microcomputer 21, and the microcomputer 21 controls the driving of the thermal head 14 and the motor 15 based on the information. The procedure of the control operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, as shown in FIG. 6, the step S1 is performed.
In, the light emitting diode 1 of the photo interrupter 12
2A is turned on, and the feed motor 15 is driven in step S2 to start feeding the thermal paper 1. Then, in step S3, the barcode 2 is read from the thermal paper 1 by the photo interrupter 13 to determine the presence or absence of the barcode 2. If it is determined that there is a bar code, the process proceeds to step S4, the bar code is read into the storage device of the microcomputer 21, and the type and format of the thermal paper 1 is determined based on the bar code in step S5. Thus, the next steps S6-1 and S6
At the stage of -2, S6-3, ..., the type of thermal paper and the type of the thermal paper are categorized, and suitable driving conditions for the thermal head, feed motor, etc. corresponding to the format. Is set, and in step S7, the sheet is fed under the conditions, and the thermal head 14 is driven to perform recording, and then step S7 is performed.
Return to 1.

If it is determined in step S3 that there is no bar code, the process branches to step S8, and the default process is performed, that is, the format is not specified, and the process directly proceeds to step S7 to perform recording.
Furthermore, if it is determined in step S5 that the corresponding paper type or format is not found, the process branches to step S9 to output a paper error signal via the interface connector 22, and then returns to step S1 to perform the next thermal process. Waiting for paper to be sent.

In the above-described embodiment, the photo interrupter mechanism is provided as the bar code reader for reading the bar code 2 in the printer unit 10. However, a bar code reader is provided separately from the printer unit 10. Alternatively, the barcode may be read from the thermal paper 1 via the barcode reader, and the driving of the thermal head or the feed motor may be controlled based on the information obtained from the read barcode.

Further, although the above-mentioned embodiment has been described with respect to the application example to the handy terminal, it is needless to say that the application of the present invention is not limited to this, and further, it represents information relating to thermal paper. The code may be other than the bar code.

[0016]

As described above, according to the present invention, the thermosensitive recording means based on the reading means for reading the bar code previously printed on the thermal paper and the information of the bar code read by the reading means. Since it is equipped with a control means for controlling the printer type, the printer side can always obtain proper printing and recording without the user having to adjust the printer side for different types and formats of thermal paper. It became possible to function.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the form of thermal paper applied to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the outline of the configuration of the thermal printer of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the inside of the thermal printer shown in FIG. 2 as viewed from the upper side.

FIG. 4 is a circuit configuration diagram of a bar code reader applied to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a circuit configuration diagram of a printer unit according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a control operation during recording according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a thermal paper format example (A), (B).
It is explanatory drawing shown in 2 forms.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Thermal Paper 2 Bar Code 10 Printer Section 12 Photointerrupter 12A Light Emitting Element (Light Emitting Diode) 12B Photosensitive Element (Phototransistor) 13 Platen 14 Thermal Head 15 Feed Motor 21 One-chip Microcomputer

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A thermal printer capable of thermal recording on thermal paper, comprising: a reading unit for reading a bar code printed in advance on the thermal paper; and a thermal recording unit based on the information of the bar code read by the reading unit. And a control means for controlling the thermal printer. 2. The bar code is for displaying the characteristics and format relating to the thermal paper as information, and means for relating to the thermal recording is provided by the control means so that optimum recording can be obtained based on the information. The thermal printer according to claim 1, wherein the thermal printer is controlled. 3. The control means has a storage means for storing information on a preset barcode, and the control is performed when the information on the barcode read by the reading means is not stored in the storage means. An error output is made by the means.
The thermal printer described in.