Kanzaki Paper Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Kanzaki Paper Mfg. Co., Ltd.

Kanzaki Seishi Co., Ltd.

Hisashi Uemura

Kenichi Fujii

Takayasu Hongo

Motoki Matsubara

Setsuo Sasabe

Kenmei Tanaka

Kazuya Bessho

Yoshinobu Masumura

Akira Ogushi

Fumihiro Shimada

This invention relates to a dot printer of the type in which received printing data are converted into dot-patterns to be printed. A printer of this type mainly comprises: a main memory which stores the printing data as either fixed part data and variable part data; a mechanism for identifying the fixed part data and the variable part data; and a buffer or buffers for storing the result of performing an operation, usually called 'dot-expansion,' on the printing data stored in the main memory. The contents of the buffers are applied to the printing head, which in turn, prints dot-images on a sheet of paper. Because the CPU dot-expands and recopies only the variable part data in the main memory into the buffer, a needless computation associated with dot-expanding fixed-part data is eliminated. In addition, if two buffers are used, a first buffer may hold dot-expanded data while the printing head is operating and while the other buffer is being filled with dot-expanded data, to be printed subsequent to the printing of the contents of the first buffer. Segmenting the main memory into fixed part data and variable part data and two-buffer scheme allow printers of the present invention to print a document faster than conventional dot-printers.

Dot printer with a reduced average number of dot-expansion operations

A thermal printer comprising a platen roller, a head mounting bracket having a thermal head attached thereto, a head holder for removably containing the head mounting bracket at a predetermined stationary position relative to the platen roller, and a pivotable support assembly pivotable about a supporting shaft, the pivotal support assembly housing the thermal head, head holder, and the head mounting bracket for pivotal movement of the thermal head, head holder, and the head mounting bracket toward and away from the platen roller, the head holder being a boxlike supporting frame having an opening at its bottom for fitting the head mounting bracket therethrough, the head mounting bracket and the supporting frame having respective front portions opposite to one another and being provided with engaging means for locating the head mounting bracket in the head holder at a predetermined fixed lateral position, the head mounting bracket and the supporting frame having respective rear portions with engaging means opposite to one another for locating the head mounting bracket in the head holder at a predetermined fixed front to rear position.

Thermal printer

A method of measuring and expressing the unwound amount or residual amount of a web roll, such as carbon film roll or printing paper roll in terms of a unit length of the web roll includes the steps of: starting a count of pulses to be produced by a rotation displacement detecting sensor for each predetermined angle of rotational displacement when the residual amount of the web roll is considered to have been reduced to a predetermined value; and emitting a warning signal when the count reaches a predetermined count number (initially set on the basis of the average value of the amounts of unwinding rotation of the web roll per unit length) during the time when the web roll is unwound and fed by a unit length from the count start time.

Method of detecting residual amount of web roll

A dot-matrix printer which operates as a line head printer and is capable of reading line head printer print data and moving head printer print data. A memory stores print data. A series of clock pulses are generated and a shift register reads a portion of the print data from the memory. Upon receipt of a pre-determined clock pulse, the shift register writes the group of print data to a first latch register in a series of latch registers. The print data in each latch register is then written to a succeeding latch register. Upon receipt of a pre-determined clock pulse and in accordance with the print data, heating elements heat specific dot elements in a group of dot elements thus printing an equivalent of one print line. The print sheet is then advanced a distance equivalent to a print line comprising the group of dot elements and the process is repeated as required. The latch registers of the disclosure may be eliminated and replaced with shift registers, thus the print data is read directly by the shift registers and therefore the operating speed is increased.

Dot-matrix printer having interchangeable line head and moving head

A bar code printing medium 10 to e applied to an article, the medium 10 having an upper surface on which at least one bar code 12 has been printed, characterized in that the at least one bar code 12 is covered with a colored transparent film 14 having a selective transmittivity in a predetermined wavelength region.

Bar code printing medium

An apparatus for pressing a print head against a platen roll in a printer, which comprises a rotating profiled cam supporting the print head for moving the print head toward and away from the platen roll, a shaft in the center of and integral with the cam for rotating the cam, the profile of the claim having an arcuate cam edged section points of which along the arcuate edge section are at a gradually and smoothly continuously increasing distance from the shaft, and a circular cam edge section seamlessly continuously adjoining the arcuate edge section, points of the circular cam edge section along the circular edge being equidistant from the shaft, whereby the print head supported from the edge section of the cam is pressed against the platen roll at a constant pressure when the print head is supported from the circular edge section of the cam.

Apparatus for pressing a print head in a printer

A detection circuit for determining whether heating members within a thermal head are broken is disclosed. The circuit comprises a voltage source connected in series with a resistor, wherein the voltage source and resistor are connected in parallel with a diode. The diode allows current to flow from a thermal head driving power supply to a thermal head. invention also includes a comparator for comparing the voltage The present level at the output terminal of the diode with a reference voltage. The parallel connection of the diode and the voltage source/resistor allows the output voltage of the diode to maintain an expected voltage level while the heating members are operating normally (i.e. the members are not broken). The parallel connection also allows the voltage level at the output terminal of the diode to increase as the members operate abnormally (i.e. a worn or broken condition). The comparator monitors this voltage level, and detects undesirable fluctuations therein. Thus the circuit of the present invention prevents printing of incorrect letters.

Thermal head breakage detecting circuit

A scanning mode printer operates with an array of heating elements and corresponding photoelectric elements coupled in parallel so that a modulated laser beam scans in line fashion the photoelectric elements to respectively activate each heating element in a thermal head for imaging a heat-responsive medium.

Optically-switched thermal printhead system

A thermal printer including a line thermal head having heating elements, comprises trays for receiving thermal sensitive cut papers, a plurality of rollers for feeding the papers from the trays to the thermal head, and an electric power supply for supplying electric power to the heating elements. The thermal printer also includes a controller for controlling the power supply from the electric power supply in response to the size of the selected papers.

A fixed head thermal printer with a plurality of printing elements defining a line of print. Power is supplied to blocks of elements sequentially with a number of blocks receiving power simultaneously, that number being determined in accordance with the number of dots to be printed. The width of the paper is detected and elements not adjacent the paper are prevented from operating. In one embodiment, slack in a loop of paper from a roll is detected to control the driving speed of the roll.

Growing community of inventors

Nishinomiya, Japan

Hisashi Uemura