Brother Kogyo Kabushiki-kaisha

Shuhei Okamori

Takeshi Yokoi

In a printing device, provided are means for setting a print start position in the printing form, and means for automatically feeding the printing sheet till the set print start position is located at a printing head. Thus, data can be printed in the desired position without complicated operations. In other words, the print start position of the continuous-form printing sheet can be securely and quickly conducted with simple operations.

Printing device having paper feed control

An apparatus for detecting the presence or absence of a recording medium in a printer includes a photo-electric sensor, a reference determining device, a memory, and a judging device. The photo-electric sensor is disposed adjacent to a predetermined position in a feeding path of the printer. In a reference setting mode, the reference determining device determines a reference based on an output signal generated by the photo-electric sensor. The determined reference is stored in the memory. In a printing mode, the judging device compares the output signal of the photo-electric sensor with the reference, and judges whether or not the recording medium is present at the predetermined position.

Apparatus for detecting presence or absence of recording medium in

In a printer enabling a user to select different forms-feed modes, a cut-forms automatic-feed unit (12) and a continuous-forms feed cassette (14) are detachably mounted on a printer main body (10) in its upper surface of a rear portion of the main body (10) and in its rear surface of the rear portion of the same (10), respectively, so that the user can selectively mount at least one of such feed units (12, 14). The printer has forms-feed modes corresponding to the mounted feed units (12, 14) and another forms-feed mode for manually feeding a cut-form to the printer. Each of the feed units (12, 14) can be manually mounted on the printer main body (10) as required. When a forms-feed mode set by the user is different from its preceding mode and a form according to the preceding mode remains in a form-driving unit (54, 102, 104, 106) in the printer main body (10), a sensor detects such remaining form. If the preceding mode is a continuous-forms feed mode, such remaining form backs in a direction opposite to its feeding direction. If the preceding mode is not the continuous-forms feed mode, such remaining form is transported in its feeding direction by a predetermined amount so as to be discharged from the printer main body (10), through selective operation of the forms-driving unit.

Printer system for enabling user to select various forms-feed modes

A motor driving device in a printer wherein a selection signal for carrying out the driving selection of the respective stepping motors in outputted from a control circuit to the stepping motor for an automatic paper feeding mechanism of forms which comprises one of two driven sections and an other stepping motor for a form feeding mechanism which comprises the other driving section in a printer to select one of these motors through drive selection elements corresponding to respective stepping motors, and in which a phase control signal is successively sent to phase current flowing elements provided commonly in the same phase coils or both stepping motors, respectively, and the switching operation of the phase coils of the selected stepping motor is carried out to rotate and drive said motor, and the rotation position of said motor is always recognized by memorizing the corresponding data of each output of said phase control signal, and after the other motor has been selectively driven, in selecting said one stepping motor again, the memorized data are read out to output a phase control signal corresponding to the rotation position of said motor.

Motor driving device for printer

A color printer for effecting impression of images on a paper bidirectionally along a print line, using plural bi-color ribbons or a single multi-color ribbon, so as to provide plural color portions of different colors. The printer comprises plural print head units corresponding to the plural color portions of the ribbon or ribbons, and support and feed devices for supporting the paper, ribbon or ribbons and the print head units, such that the color portions of the ribbon or ribbons in opposed relation with the print head units are spaced from each other along the print line and arranged in order of brightness of the colors thereof in selected one of the opposite printing directions along the print line. An assembly of the ribbon or ribbons and the print head units is moved along the print line relative to the paper. A switching device is provided to reverse the order of brightness of the color portions of the ribbon or ribbons when the printing direction is reversed, to maintain the order of brightness in the currently selected printing direction.

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

Shuhei Okamori