Printer device

Abstract

A printer device that prints an image to a printing paper using a thermal head formed with a plurality of heating resistors. The printer device includes: edge position detection means for performing edge position detection, at four corners, to an incoming printing paper using the thermal head based on a change of temperature increase observed in, as a result of energization, any of the heating resistors opposing the printing paper and the remaining heating resistors not opposing the printing paper; and control means for exercising control over an image printing operation using the thermal head based on a detection output derived by the edge position detection means.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a printer device to which the invention is applied;

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the printer device with a top plate closed;

FIG. 3 is another external perspective view of the printer device with the top plate opened;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of an ink ribbon;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of the printer device;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the printer device, showing the relationship between a thermal head and a ribbon guide;

FIG. 7 is an external perspective view of the thermal head;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the thermal head, showing the vertically-cut internal configuration;

FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of a head section of the thermal head;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the head section;

FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view of a base layer of the thermal head;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the thermal head;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a printing paper in the printer device;

FIG. 14 is a schematic perspective view of an image-printed printing paper showing the state that margin portions are to be cut;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing the configuration of detecting an aperture formed to the margin portion of the printing paper;

FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the printer device;

FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing the configuration of generating a control signal for variable control over a power supply voltage in accordance with the operation characteristics of the printer device body in the printer device for each of the printing colors using the thermal head;

FIG. 18 is a circuit diagram showing an exemplary configuration of a safety circuit provided in the printer device body;

FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing the control operation of a control section provided in the printer device body;

FIG. 20 is a schematic circuit diagram showing the configuration of implementing the protection capability of the control section provided in the printer device body;

FIG. 21 is a circuit diagram showing an exemplary circuit for implementing the protection capability;

FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing the control procedure of a printing operation of a printing processing section under the control of the control section provided in the printer device body;

FIG. 23 is a characteristic diagram sowing the relationship, in terms of power input and resistance value change rate, of heating resistors configuring heat-producing portions of the thermal head in the printer device;

FIG. 24 is a schematic diagram showing the state of change observed in resistance values of the heat-producing portions of the thermal head in the vicinity of the edges of a printing paper in the printer device;

FIG. 25 is a schematic circuit diagram showing the state of connection between the heating resistors configuring the heat-producing portions of the thermal head in the printer device and the control section;

FIG. 26 is a waveform diagram of the detected waveform of a driving power supply voltage to be applied to the heat-producing portions in a process of edge position detection mode, i.e., any heat-producing bodies in the vicinity of end portions of a printing paper are heated via a reference resistance by sequential energization one by one;

FIG. 27 is a diagram showing an energization method of making, to produce heat, the heat-producing elements by sequential energization one by one;

FIG. 28 is a diagram showing an energization method of energizing a unit of three heat-producing elements all at once, and making, to produce heat, the heat-producing elements on the unit basis with the sequential shift of one element at a time;

FIG. 29 is a diagram showing an energization method of energizing a unit of three heat-producing elements all at once, and making, to produce heat, the heat-producing elements on the unit basis with the sequential shift of three elements at a time;

FIG. 30 is a diagram showing an energization method of energizing a unit of five heat-producing elements all at once, and making, to produce heat, the heat-producing elements on the unit basis with the sequential shift of five elements at a time;

FIG. 31 is a characteristic diagram showing the measurement result of a detection voltage for the element at the center in accordance with any change observed in a resistance value thereof under various energization times and methods;

FIG. 32 is a waveform diagram showing the method of improving the detection sensitivity through reduction of a noise component caused by the variation of the resistance values of heating resistors;

FIG. 33 is a waveform diagram of a detection voltage when a printing paper is made to run in an edge position detection mode;

FIG. 34 is a schematic diagram showing the edge detection position in the edge position detection mode;

FIG. 35 is a schematic diagram showing a method of reducing the detection time by narrowing down a detection range based on the first detection result in the edge position detection mode, i.e., estimating the edge position for the second and later detections based on the paper width;

FIG. 36 is a schematic diagram showing another method of reducing the detection time by performing edge position detection with the energization method of making, to produce heat, a unit of three elements with the sequential shift of three elements at a time, and then by performing edge position detection on an element basis at the detected edge position;

FIG. 37 is a schematic diagram showing the method of reducing the detection time by first heating a plurality of elements through energization all at once, and then detecting any change observed in the resistance values;

FIG. 38 is a schematic diagram showing an example of heating the elements in the first and second detection areas through energization all at once; and

FIG. 39 is a schematic diagram showing another method of reducing the detection time in the edge position detection mode.

Claims

1. A printer device that prints an image to a printing paper using a thermal head formed with a plurality of heating resistors, the device comprising: edge position detection means for performing edge position detection, at four corners, to an incoming printing paper using the thermal head based on a change of temperature increase observed in, as a result of energization, any of the heating resistors opposing the printing paper and the remaining heating resistors not opposing the printing paper; andcontrol means for exercising control over an image printing operation using the thermal head based on a detection output derived by the edge position detection means.

2. The printer device according to claim 1, wherein based on a detection result derived for a first corner, the edge position detection means estimates an edge position for a second and later corners using a paper width, and performs the edge position detection with a narrower detection range.

3. The printer device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein with a unit of elements predetermined in number for each of the heating resistors located at a detection area, by energizing each of the heating resistors all at once on the unit basis with the sequential shift of one unit at a time, the edge position detection means performs the edge position detection by detecting a resistance value change of a measurement target element at a center of each of the units, and performs the edge position detection at a detected edge position on the element basis.

4. The printer device according to claim 1, wherein based on a resistance value change caused by a temperature increase of each of the heating resistors of the thermal head, the edge position detection means performs the edge position detection to the printing paper using the thermal head.

5. The printer device according to claim 4, wherein the edge position detection means includes a reference resistance that is collectively connected to each of the heating resistors of the thermal head, sequentially energizes the heating resistors via the reference resistance, and detects the resistance value change observed in each of the heating resistors as a descending voltage by the reference resistance.

6. The printer device according to claim 5, wherein the edge position detection means includes switching means for collectively connecting the reference resistance to each of the heating resistors of the thermal head in an edge position detection mode, and in a printing mode, cutting off the reference resistance from each of the heating resistors.

7. A printer device that prints an image to a printing paper using a thermal head formed with a plurality of heating resistors, the device comprising: an edge position detection section performing edge position detection, at four corners, to an incoming printing paper using the thermal head based on a change of temperature increase observed in, as a result of energization, any of the heating resistors opposing the printing paper and the remaining heating resistors not opposing the printing paper; anda control section exercising control over an image printing operation using the thermal head based on a detection output derived by the edge position detection section.