Method and apparatus for controlling the thermal head drive

Details Method and apparatus for controlling the thermal head drive Method and apparatus for controlling the thermal head drive

1999-05-27

2000-03-28

Hilten, John S.

Typewriting machines

Sheet or web

For feeding web record-medium

400 76, 400 70, 400 61, B41J 1126

Patent

active

06042284&

ABSTRACT:
The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for driving and controlling a thermal head used in a printing device, such as a tape printer, in response to the temperature variations of the printing device environment and the thermal head. According to the present invention, in the printing operation of the tape printer, measurements are made of the initial temperature T1 immediately after the power is switched on, the temperature prior to printing T2, and the ambient temperature of the thermal head each time the thermal head prints T3 (i). If the temperature difference between the initial temperature T1 and the temperature prior to printing T2 is small, the duration of the current signals provided to the thermal head is controlled in accordance with the temperature prior to printing T2, which is the most recently measured thermal head ambient temperature best reflecting the printing device environmental temperature. If the difference is large, the duration is controlled in accordance with the initial temperature T1 which then best reflects the environmental temperature. If the rate of the increase in temperature during printing T3(i) is large, the duration is controlled in accordance with the initial temperature T2 to reduce the duration. If the temperature during printing T3(i) exceeds a temperature which indicates overheating, the printing operation is aborted. Thus, the present invention allows for controlling the thermal head drive by means of the measured thermal head ambient temperature excluding the effect of the heat generation of the thermal head and in accordance with the thermal state of the thermal head.

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