Kanzaki Paper Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Kanzaki Paper Mfg. Co., Ltd.

New Oji Paper Co, Ltd.

Kenichi Fujii

Hisashi Uemura

Motoki Matsubara

Takayasu Hongo

Setsuo Sasabe

Kazuya Bessho

Eiji Hirao

Kazuya Beesho

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 dot printer receives coded printing information, and expands it into dots in an image memory. When expanding the information into dots, the printing contents of the previous printed document and the new printing document are compared as to their coded information. Only the changed portions therebetween are rewritten in the image memory. As a result, the printing efficiency with respect to multiple documents of the same type in which only small portions thereof change is improved.

Label printer with selective memory update

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

A thermal printer uses a thermal line head which, when paper having a width smaller than a predetermined width is supplied in error, is able to inhibit electric supply to the heat generating devices that are situated outside of the paper to thereby prevent the heat generating devices from shortening their life span due to the idle heating thereof. There is provided a device which can be moved in the width, or lateral, direction of paper to detect the side edges of the paper and, in accordance with the moving distance of the paper side edge detection units from the reference position thereof, it is possible to specify the block of the thermal line head to which electric supply is to be inhibited.

Thermal printer

A printer having a cutter 6 including: program storage 2 for storing printer control programs such as a data edition program, a printing control program and a cutter control program, where the program storage has a random access memory for storing the predetermined length of each of plural sheet divisions arranged on the web to be cut out, the total length of a printing zone in each of the sheet divisions and a blank distance between adjacent two printing zones of the sheet divisions; and a central processing unit 1 for operating the cutter 6 to cut the sheet division according to the data and the programs read out from the program storage, to cut out a sheet in the predetermined length with a printed zone where the central processing unit 1 precalculates the continued travel length L of the web from a travel reference position, where any predetermined point in the sheet or a subsequent sheet division is placed in a predetermined relative position to the printer after printing of the printed zone, to a travel end position where a cross line of the web to be a rear edge of the sheet is aligned with a cutting line of the cutter 6.

Printer control system for a sheet cutter

A thermal head in a thermal printer is biased by a plurality of springs which are provided between the thermal head and stopper of the movable shafts, respectively. The distances between the thermal head and the stoppers are commonly adjusted by a rotating shaft through gears fixed to the rotating shaft and worms formed on the movable shafts, thereby subtly adjusting the thermal head biasing force of the springs in accordance with the condition of a sheet to be used.

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.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Kenichi Fujii