Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Article handling
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-26
2001-02-06
Bollinger, David H. (Department: 3651)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Article handling
C700S228000, C700S230000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06185478
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing apparatus for printing to a cut-sheet form, to a printing apparatus capable of selecting an operation to be performed when a cut-sheet form is inserted, to a method for controlling such a printing apparatus, and to a recording medium for storing the control method and related control program.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 11
shows an example of a printer that prints on cut paper (slip paper). This printer
9
is provided with paper path
11
which extends in the horizontal direction and in which printing paper
1
is fed from the right side of the figure for printing. Along this paper path
11
, starting from the right side, the printer
9
includes BOF (Bottom of Form) sensor
21
for sensing the presence of slip paper
1
and the end of the paper during printing, paper-feeding roller
31
and paper-pressing roller
32
for feeding slip paper
1
along paper path
11
, platen
36
and printing head
37
for printing slip paper
1
, TOF (Top of Form) sensor
22
for sensing the presence of slip paper
1
and the leading edge of the paper, and form stopper
15
for positioning the paper by striking the leading edge of paper
1
when slip paper
1
is inserted into paper path
11
. Next to these components, paper guide
14
for guiding printed paper
1
to the paper discharge port is provided. In this printer
9
, printing area
35
, equipped with platen
36
and print head
37
, is formed inside the area (insertion area
12
) in which slip paper
1
is inserted into a predetermined position by placing its leading edge against form stopper
15
, thus shortening the distance that paper
1
must travel and enabling fast printing.
Printer
9
is further provided with platen drive mechanism
40
which moves platen
36
up and down in the direction perpendicular to paper path
11
and which pushes platen
36
toward print head
37
after slip paper
1
has been inserted into insertion area
12
so that paper
1
can be printed. Platen drive mechanism
40
is provided with platen frame
42
which pushes platen
36
upward with spring
41
, platen opening/closing rod
43
which controls the up and down movements of platen frame
42
by contacting inclined area
42
a
of platen frame
42
, and opening/closing solenoid
44
which moves the position of platen opening/closing rod
43
. When platen opening/closing rod
43
is moved in the left/right directions of
FIG. 11
by opening/closing solenoid
44
, platen frame
42
moves either downward or upward, making it possible for platen
36
to enter and exit from paper path
11
. Furthermore, paper-feeding roller
31
, working with platen frame
42
, moves with platen
36
, and slip paper
1
inserted into insertion area
12
is clamped between paper-pressing roller
32
and paper-feeding roller
31
, and thus the movements of paper
1
can be controlled by paper-feeding mechanism
34
. As explained above, the paper-feeding mechanism of printer
9
becomes active or inactive in linkage with opening/closing of the platen.
Furthermore, since platen opening/closing rod
43
also contacts inclined area
16
a
of stopper frame
16
which rotatably supports form stopper
15
, and this inclined area
16
a
faces the opposite direction from inclined area
42
a
of platen frame
42
. Consequently, the movement of opening/closing rod
43
makes platen
36
protrude into paper path
11
and at the same time makes form stopper
15
withdraw from paper path
11
. Since the setting of printing paper
1
is completed in this way, slip paper
1
is fed to the proper position by paper-feeding roller
31
, and furthermore, print head
37
is moved by a drive mechanism (not shown in
FIG. 11
) in the scanning direction perpendicular to the paper-feeding direction, thereby printing paper
1
in the desired locations.
Paper-feeding mechanism
34
is also equipped with paper-feeding motor
33
for driving rollers
31
and
32
and control unit
50
which can control printing by print head
37
. Signals from TOF sensor
22
and BOF sensor
21
are input into control unit
50
, and the process of installing slip paper
1
in printer
9
is controlled by having these sensors
21
and
22
check for the presence of slip paper
1
.
As described above, a slip form indexing operation is automatically performed when a form is inserted to a conventional printer as a means of ensuring that the form is correctly positioned and is printed at a specific position.
However, there are cases in which it is desirable to position a specific part of a form to be printed to the position traversed by the print head, and then print with the form in the selected position. This is referred to below as “targeted printing.” One exemplary application for targeted printing is check printing, or more specifically, printing the amount to a specific position on the check. In the conventional printer described above, however, a form is automatically indexed to a predetermined position in the paper path when the form is inserted, and targeted printing to a specific desired position on the form is therefore not possible.
Objects of the Invention
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned problems.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a printing apparatus that can selectively apply the process performed when a form or paper to be printed is inserted according to a printing objective.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method for controlling such a printing apparatus and a recording medium for storing a control program for causing the method to be performed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is therefore directed to a printing apparatus whereby the process performed upon printing form insertion is selectively controlled according to a printing objective.
According to one aspect of the invention, a printing apparatus is provided which comprises: a printing unit including a print head that prints to a cut-sheet form according to print data or a print command received from a host device; a detector for detecting the presence of a cut-sheet form; a transport mechanism for transporting a cut-sheet form; a control unit for positioning the leading edge of a cut-sheet form to a specific position based on a detection result from the detector by driving the transport mechanism; and a selector for enabling or disabling operation of the control unit according to a specific command received from a host device. By storing the value set by the selector, it is only necessary to set the operating state of the control unit once, and it is not necessary to change the setting until a change in the operating state is required.
When an indexing operation for automatically setting a form inserted to the printing apparatus to a specific position is not required, the indexing operation can be disabled, thereby enabling the printing apparatus to be used according to the current printing objective. When the indexing operation is disabled, a form to be printed can be inserted with the desired printing position aligned to the printing position of the print head, thereby enabling printing to a selected position.
The printing apparatus of the invention further comprises means for temporarily enabling operation regulated by the control unit irrespective of the selector setting if the detection result from the detector indicates there is no paper after print data or a print command has been received from the host device when operation regulated by the control unit has been disabled by the selector. This makes it possible to prevent paper jams and carriage misalignment when a printing form is inserted after print data or a print command has been received and the indexing operation has been disabled because the indexing operation is temporarily enabled and executed.
A printing apparatus according to the present invention further preferably comprises a first insertion opening for inserting a cut-sheet form parallel to the direc
Koakutsu Naohiko
Teradaira Mitsuaki
Bollinger David H.
Gabrik Michael T.
Seiko Epson Corporation
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