Typewriting machines – Including selection of type-face by...
Patent
1999-05-07
2000-10-03
Hilten, John S.
Typewriting machines
Including selection of type-face by...
400 76, 400 83, 235 7R, B41J 342
Patent
active
061263400
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a printer for printing on cut sheets, continuous paper and the like.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
A cut sheet such as an ordering slip and a receipt slip is called a slip sheet and there has been known a slip printer for printing on such sheets by manually supplying the sheet from the front or side of a printing section (for instance, Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication JP-U 62-150148 (1987), Japanese Examined Utility Model Publication JP-Y2 2-8781 (1990)).
Some shops and restaurants adopt a method of printing on the slip sheets at the payment of a charge by the slip printer set on a cashier counter with the use of information such as a name and unit price of the merchandise which are stored in a computer in advance. This method has an advantage such that a necessary number of duplicates of the slip sheet may be printed at the same time with the same contents for the shop, for a clerk and for a customer. A plurality of duplicates is often required also when payment is made by a credit card.
In addition to the slip printer, a printer for issuing a receipt needs to be provided because there are customers who ask for a receipt beside such a duplicate. However, because the cashier counter gets crowded when the same kinds of two printers are placed side by side, a combination printer in which both of the functions are combined is now on the way of development to cope with this problem.
Further, as a peripheral equipment of the computer, it is now being considered to construct a system for preventing a mistake in relation to the payment in which a display for confirmation is separately provided.
FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of a prior art accounting system. A host unit 3 comprising a computer and additional devices stores a large amount of data such as a name and unit price of merchandise, and other data which are inputted from a keyboard, and the like or which are transmitted from another host unit.
A printer 1 is connected to the host unit 3 by a signal cable 4 in a serial transmission system such as RS232C and an Ethernet or in a parallel transmission system such as Centronics and SCSI. The printer 1 is provided with an interface 1a adapted to these transmission systems. When the host unit 3 transmits printing data and commands to the printer 1, the printer 1 analyzes the data and commands to execute a corresponding printing operation. The printer 1 has a power supply unit 1b and a power cable 1c to receive power from commercial power (e.g., 100 V AC).
A display unit 2 is connected with the host unit 3 by a signal cable 5 in the serial transmission system such as RS232C and is provided with an interface 2a adapted to the transmission system. When the host unit 3 transmits display data and commands to the display unit 2, the display unit 2 analyzes the data and the commands to execute a corresponding display operation. The display unit 2 has a power supply unit 2b and a power cable 2c to receive power from commercial power (e.g., 100 V AC).
Although the degree of freedom of the prior art system structure is high because the printer 1 and the display unit 2 are installed independently, this system structure requires a total of two power supply units and two signal cables. Therefore, when the host unit 3 is installed at the distant location, the signal cables become lengthy, and also the system occupies two power sockets.
Further, because the printer 1 and the display unit 2 are separate units, the total floor area increases and the cashier counter gets crowded when they are put on the cashier counter side by side.
Still more, when contents to be printed by the printer 1 are also to be displayed on the display unit 2, the host unit 3 needs to transmit relevant data to both the printer 1 and the display unit 2, with the result that the burden of the host unit 3 increases and there may arise a problem where data transmitted to the both are different from each other.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present inve
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Pending U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 09/297,684, filed May 6, 1999, entitled "Recording Apparatus", by Kazuyasu Ono et al.
Amano Tomoaki
Ono Kazuyasu
Chau Minh H.
Hilten John S.
Star Micronics Co. Ltd.
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