Printing device having paper feed control
AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorShuhei Okamori
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
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.
Claims17
A printing device, capable of employing at least a continuous-form printing sheet successively having a plurality of printing forms along a predetermined direction, comprising a printing unit for executing a printing operation on a printing sheet, and a sheet feeding unit for feeding the printing sheet along said predetermined direction at least toward a position at which said printing unit is located, said printing device further comprising:
- printing start position setting means for inputting data representative of a print start position on said printing sheet without moving said printing sheet, said position being spaced apart from a first leading edge of the printing sheet;
- detecting means, provided at a point upstream of said printing unit for detecting if said printing sheet is at said point;
- first controlling means for controlling said sheet feeding unit so at to reversely feed the printing sheet while said first leading edge of said printing sheet is detected by said detecting means;
- second controlling means for controlling said sheet feeding unit so as to forwardly feed the printing sheet toward said printing unit until said first leading edge of said printing sheet is detected by said detecting means;
- third controlling means for controlling said sheet feeding unit so as to further feed the printing sheet in accordance with data inputted by said printing start position setting means so that the print start position is located at said printing unit;
- print controlling means for controlling said printing unit so as to execute a test printing operation when the print start position having been set by said print start position setting means is located at said printing unit;
- cutting means downstream of said printing unit;
- fourth controlling means for controlling said sheet feeding unit so as to feed said printing sheet forwardly until a boundary position between a form on which said printing operation is executed and the next successive form is positioned at said cutting means with a second leading edge, said first controlling means retracting said sheet until said second leading edge is detected by said detecting means;
- whereby said test printing operation is executed on the print start position, so that a positional relation between said print start position and the leading edge of the printing sheet is represented on said printing sheet and thereafter the printing sheet is fed so that said boundary is located at said cutting means.
A printing device for printing successively a plurality of forms on a continuous sheet comprising:
- a printing unit;
- a print feeding unit for feeding said sheet toward said printing unit;
- print start position setting means for inputting data by an operator representative of a print start position on said sheet, said print start position being selected with respect to a first leading edge of said sheet without moving said sheet;
- detecting means for detecting said first leading edge, said detecting means being disposed upstream of said printing unit;
- first control means for controlling said print feeding unit for moving said sheet until said detecting means detects said first leading edge;
- second control means for advancing said sheet from a first position in which said first leading edge is positioned at said detecting means until said print start position is disposed adjacent to said printing unit;
- print control means for printing a test character at said print start position;
- cutting means for cutting said sheet after printing;
- and
- third control means for feeding said sheet from said printing unit to said cutting means until a boundary position between one form and a next form is positioned at said cutting means, said cutting means being used to cut off said one form at said boundary position to define a second leading edge, said first control means being further provided to retract said sheet until said detecting means detects said second leading edge.
A method of operating a printing device for printing successive forms on a continuous sheet, said printing device having a memory means for storing data indicative of a preselected print start position, a sheet cutter and adjusting means for incrementally adjusting said preselected print start position, said method comprising the steps of:
- selecting an actual print start position by changing said data by an incremental amount without moving said sheet;
- moving said sheet until a leading edge of said sheet is detected at a detection position;
- advancing said sheet from said detection position to a printing station;
- printing a test pattern at said actual print start position on said sheet;
- advancing said sheet to said cutter until a border between two forms is reached at said cutter;
- separating a form with said print pattern from said sheet with said cutter;
- and
- retracting said sheet after said form is separated until a new leading edge is detected at said detection station.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.