JPH0497871A - Ink ribbon feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To discriminate a trailing end from an ink separation defect to prevent erroneous trailing end detection and also printing with the ink separation part resulting in an unclear printing by a method wherein an ink ribbon trailing end is judged not by one detection of transparent parts but by two or more repeated detections thereof. CONSTITUTION:When an ink separation part reaches a printing position, a memory M20 comes to 1. When a transparent part of an ink ribbon, i.e., a value 1 in a memory, continues by a distance more than the predetermined number of characters, a CPU judges the trailing end of an ink ribbon, stops printing, and conducts an appropriate trailing end processing. When 1 does not continue by a distance more than 4 characters, the CPU does judge the trailing end but judges a partial defect by an ink separation and continues the printing action. Because 1 in the memory shifts rightward and the ink separation defect part comes to a printing position, shortage of printing may occur when printing is made in this state. Therefore, the ink ribbon is fed rightward, and 1 in the memory is shifted and emitted rightward. At this time, a partial defect processing is completed, and a normal printing action is restarted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink ribbon feeding device for a printing device such as an electronic typewriter, which has an end detection function.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a typewriter. A printing mechanism 2 is mounted on a platen 1 around which printing paper is wound and a carriage movable along the platen 1.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the printing mechanism 2, which includes a printing hammer 3, a daisy wheel 4, and a photo sensor 6.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of the ink ribbon cassette installed in the printing mechanism 21 - the ink ribbon 7 wound on the reel 6
is pulled out from the opening 8 of the cassette, and after printing, it enters the cassette again through the entrance 9 and is wound onto the reel 1o. The winding force is applied stepwise ('7-) from a motor (not shown), and stops during printing when the printing hammer is in operation;
After printing is completed, one character is wound up. Reference numeral 5 denotes a photo sensor, which is inserted into the interior of the cassette through the window, and as shown in FIG. Stop the operation.

〆Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, with the above conventional configuration, partial defects such as partial peeling or unevenness of ink are mistakenly detected as the end of the ink ribbon, and the printing operation stops when it should not. There was a problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an ink ribbon feeding device that eliminates false detection of the end and prevents printing from defective portions of the ink ribbon, and provides high-quality printing without malfunction.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above objects, the ink ribbon feeding device of the present invention comprises: - a device for detecting whether the ink ribbon is transparent or opaque for each out-of-character character; and a memory for temporarily recording the results.
The apparatus includes a control device that determines the end of the ink ribbon or a defect from the contents of the memory, determines subsequent treatment, and controls the feed motor and printing mechanism.

Effect: With the above configuration, it is possible to distinguish between transparency caused by ink peeling and transparency at the end, thereby preventing false detection. It also prevents unclear characters from being printed on areas where the ink has peeled off.

Embodiment □Example FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the ink ribbon feeding device of the present invention. The hardware configuration of this device is the same as that described in the section of the prior art, so a description thereof will be omitted. In this ink ribbon feeding device, the ink ribbon is fed step by step for each print. In FIG. 1, a photo sensor 20 detects whether the ink ribbon is transparent or opaque, and sends data for each print to a control device 2.
send to Reference numeral 22 is a central processing unit (CPU) that performs work such as data processing, arithmetic, and judgment in the apparatus, and 23 is a memory that supports the CPU 22. The output of the photosensor 2Q is stored in this X.

24 is a ribbon feed motor 26 in response to a command from the CPU 22.
and an interface for controlling the printing mechanism 2.

26 is an ink ribbon feeding device.

The operation of this device will be explained below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the detection position where the photosensor 2o detects whether the ink ribbon is transparent or opaque;
The distance between the ink ribbon and the printing position where it is hammered is 20 characters.

FIG. 3 shows the contents of the memory 23, in which the state of the ink ribbon for 2o characters from the detection position to the print position 1 is always stored. 1 in the memory indicates that the ink ribbon is transparent, and 0 indicates that the ink ribbon is opaque. As the ink ribbon moves to the right, the memory contents also shift to the right. When the peeled part of the ink shown in FIG. 3 reaches the printing position, the memory M2o becomes 1.

When the ink ribbon becomes transparent for more than a predetermined number of characters, that is, 1 continues in the memory, the CPU 22 considers it to be the end of the ink ribbon, and has an end processing function that performs appropriate end processing such as stopping printing and giving a warning to the display. have. In this embodiment, the predetermined number of characters is four. In other words, as shown in Fig. 4 (-), Ml to M6 are 1 consecutively.
At this point, it is determined that the ink ribbon is at its end, and end processing is performed.

Another function of the CPU 22 is a partial defect handling function. This will be explained below. A series of 1's is shown in Figure 4 (b)
If the number of characters is 4 or less, as in the case of 4 characters or less, the CPU 22 determines that the defect is not the end but a partial defect due to peeling of ink, and the printing operation is continued. 1 in memory is shifted to the right,
It reaches M2O as shown in FIG. 4(C). This is because the defective part of the ink peeling has come to the printing position, so if you print X as it is, there is a possibility that the printing will be chipped. Stops and issues a command to feed the ink ribbon at 1 when the defective part passes. This is the partial defect handling function. The command is transmitted and executed through the interface 24, the ink ribbon is sent to the right, and when the 1 in the memory moves 7 feet and is ejected to the right as shown in FIG. 4(d), partial defect processing is performed. is finished and normal printing operation resumes.

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above description, the present invention does not detect the end of the ink ribbon only once, but repeatedly detects the end of the ink ribbon multiple times to distinguish between the end and defects caused by ink peeling. This prevents false positive detections. Furthermore, when the ink peels off at the printed area, the ink ribbon is fed until it returns to normal condition, making it possible to obtain high-quality printing without missing characters.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an ink ribbon feeding device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of main parts for explaining the present invention in detail, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the relationship between defects in the ink ribbon and the contents of the memory. 4(a) to 4(d) are configuration diagrams for explaining the relationship between the state of the ink ribbon and the contents of the memory. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an electronic typewriter. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the printing mechanism, FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view of the ink cassette, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the photosensor section. 2o...Photo sensor (detection device), 21...
...Control device, 23...Memory (recording device)
, 25-... Ink ribbon feed motor, 26. River.
・Ink ribbon feeding device. Name of agent Patent attorney Shigetaka Awano and 1 other person 3 figures

Claims (1)

[Claims] It includes an ink ribbon feed motor, a detection device that detects whether the ink ribbon is transparent or opaque character by character, a recording device that temporarily records the output of the detection device, and a control device, and the control device is configured to detect whether the detection device is transparent or opaque. An end processing function that determines that the ink ribbon is at the end and performs end processing when the transparent ink ribbon is output continuously for more than a predetermined number of characters, and when the transparent ink ribbon is continuously output for a predetermined number of characters or less. is a partial defect in which the ink ribbon is determined to be a partial defect, and when the partial defect reaches the printing position, printing is stopped and the ink ribbon is fed until the partial defect passes the printing position. An ink ribbon feeding device equipped with processing functions.