JPH074921Y2 - Small character printing device - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical field of the invention] The present invention is a small character printing in which character data such as a sentence created by key input operation is sub-scanned by moving the main body of the device and printed on recording paper. Regarding the device.

[Prior Art and its Problems] Conventionally, a typewriter, a word processor, and the like have been widely used as an apparatus for creating a sentence or the like by key input and printing it to obtain a document. In this typewriter or word processor, usually, a recording paper of a predetermined size (A4, B5, etc.) is wound around the roller of the printer unit incorporated in the device and set, and the recording medium is set with an ink ribbon or the like. The created text is printed by transcribing characters.

However, in the document creating apparatus as described above, for example, a rotation mechanism of a roller for moving the print position of the character on the recording paper, a slide mechanism of the print head, or the like is required, and the printer unit becomes large. There is a problem that it is difficult to reduce the size. Further, in the document creating apparatus in which the printer unit is incorporated in the main body, the created document cannot be printed on, for example, a bound notebook or a recording sheet having a size larger than the specified size.

On the other hand, in addition to a device for printing a created document by key input, a printer device for printing by moving the main body of the device such as a handy copy is also considered. It is very difficult to individually set and print predetermined characters in the drawn frame, that is, to print only arbitrary characters within a predetermined print range.

[Object of the Invention] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems. For example, even when a bound notebook or a recording sheet having a size larger than a predetermined size is tabulated, a table frame drawn in advance is used. It is an object of the present invention to provide a small character printing device capable of setting and printing an arbitrary character.

[Summary of the Invention] That is, a small character printing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a character data input means, an input data display and storage means, and a storage means printing means for moving the main body of the apparatus. The predetermined printing range is measured as the moving distance of the apparatus main body, and the range corresponding to the measured distance can be displayed and confirmed together with the input data.

[Embodiment of the Invention] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an external configuration of a small character printing apparatus embodying the present invention. The apparatus main body 10 has a size that can be sufficiently held by a user's hand. First, a mode changeover switch 11 is provided on the left side surface of the device body 10. This mode switch 11 is for turning the power on and off, and word processor mode (document creation mode) WP, print mode (printing mode) PR, major mode (distance measurement mode).
The ME is switched, and the power is turned on when any one of the word processing mode WP, the print mode PR, and the major mode ME is specified. On the other hand, a key input unit 12 and a display unit 13 are provided on the front surface of the device body 10. The key input section 12 includes character / symbol input keys 14, function keys 15, and cursor keys.
16, a kana / kanji conversion key 17, a next candidate key 18, kanji selection keys 19a to 19f, and a print key 20 are arranged. Here, the display unit 13 is assumed to display all 16 characters in upper and lower two lines, for example.
Further, on the lower surface of the apparatus main body 10, for example, a line-type thermal head having 48 dots per line, and a print head portion HA provided with the line direction thereof facing the width direction of the apparatus main body 10 are provided.

The character / symbol input key 14 is used to input a kana of a created document or to input alphanumeric characters / symbols in combination with the function key 15. Specify the various functions required for document creation / printing with the character / symbol input keys 14, starting with the execution key 15a that delimits the start / end or move specification on the document with the cursor k, and insert, delete, shift key, etc. The key to be placed is placed. The characters and symbols input by the character / symbol input key 14 and the function key 15 are sequentially displayed on the display unit 13. A cursor key 16 moves a cursor k displayed on the display unit 13 together with the input document or the symbol in the left-right direction. The movement of the cursor specifies an input position, a functional range, and the like. The kana / kanji conversion key 17 is used to convert kana to kanji in the prepared document input by kana using the character / symbol input key 14 for each fixed phrase, idiom, and single kanji. A predetermined number of Kanji characters are displayed on the display unit 13 together with the converted kana document, and by operating the next candidate key 18, a large number of other homophones are displayed alternately. When the kanji converted by this kana / kanji conversion is displayed on the display unit 13,
A desired Chinese character is selected and designated by the corresponding Chinese character selection keys 19a to 19f.

In other words, the word processor mode WP
Specify the above, key input operation of the above characters and symbols, and kana /
A desired document is created by repeating the kanji conversion operation and kanji selection operation. When printing a document created by key input, after the print mode PR is specified by the mode changeover switch 11, the head portion HA is brought into contact with the surface A of the recording paper, and the apparatus main body 10 is held while pressing the print key 20. Move in the direction indicated by arrow X. As a result, the created document is printed.

On the other hand, before the document is created in the word processor mode WP, if the mode changeover switch 11 is set to the major mode ME and the apparatus main body 10 is moved along the predetermined print range on the recording paper A, for example, the moving distance is changed. The corresponding print area mark will be displayed on the display in later word processor mode WP.
Displayed on 13. In other words, in the print mode and the mode PR, it is possible to position and print an arbitrary character within a predetermined print range.

Since FIG. 2 shows the printing unit 21 configured in the small character printing device, 22 is an ink ribbon
The cassette 22 is a cassette, and is configured in a shape that can be accurately attached and detached inside the apparatus main body 10 around the printing unit 21. The ink ribbon cassette 22 is provided with two ribbon spools 23a and 23b, which serve as a supply spool and a take-up spool of the thermal transfer ink ribbon 24, respectively. The thermal transfer ink ribbon 24 is set so as to be partially exposed at the lower end of the ribbon cassette 22 from the head setting notch 25. A ribbon loading notch 26 is formed in the print head portion HA of the print portion 21, and the head surface of the notch 26 is provided at the central portion of the notch 26.
The thermal head 27 is arranged so as to slightly project from the lower surface of the. The thermal head 27 is provided so as to be able to be slightly moved up and down along the slide hole 28a of the head mounting member 28, and the downward printing pressure is always maintained by the action of the spring 28b. Further, on the lower surface side of the apparatus main body 10 on which the thermal head 27 is arranged, two large and small openings 29 and 30 are formed on both sides of the ribbon loading notch 26, and rubber rollers 31 and 32 are arranged respectively on the openings 29 and 30. It These rubber rollers 31 and 32 are
When the apparatus main body 10 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow X during the printing operation, it rotates in contact with the printing paper A, and one rubber roller 31 has a gear 33 coaxially fixed to its side portion. To be done. The gear 33 has a smaller diameter than the rubber roller 31, and is connected to the ribbon winding shaft 36 via a one-way clutch 34 and gears 35a and 35b. An encoder disk 38 is connected to the one-way clutch 33 via gears 37a and 37b. Here, the one-way clutch 33 transmits the rotation of the primary side to the secondary side, that is, the rotation of the rubber roller 31 to the ribbon winding shaft 36 and the encoder disk 38 only during the printing operation in the arrow X direction. Has become. A plurality of slits 38a, 38b, ... Are radially formed at regular intervals on the encoder disk 38, and the slit disks 38a, 38b, ...
The LED 39 and the photo sensor 40 are arranged. In this case, the LED
The projection light from the slit 39 of the encoder disc 38
The light enters the photosensor 40 through a, 38b, .... That is,
An encoder disk 41 is composed of the encoder disk 38, the LED 39 and the photo sensor 40. Then, the ink ribbon cassette 22 is mounted on the print unit 21 with the ribbon winding shaft 36 and the shaft 42 forming a pair as a supporting shaft. In this case, the thermal transfer ink ribbon 24 exposed in a part of the lower end portion of the ribbon cassette 22 is set along the head surface of the thermal head 27 arranged in the ribbon loading notch 26 of the apparatus main body 10. . Here, the back cover 10a of the apparatus main body 10 is configured to be openable and closable by a hinge 10b, and an ink ribbon cassette 22 replacement operation,
The internal inspection can be done easily. On the other hand, a circuit board 43 is arranged between the print section 21 and the front panel of the apparatus main body 10, and the key and switch group in FIG. 1 is connected to the encoder 41 and the thermal head 27 of the print section 21. It

FIG. 3 shows the structure of the electronic circuit formed on the circuit board 43. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 51 is a control unit, and the control unit 51 receives the mode switching signal from the mode switching switch 11 Then, various key input operation signals from the key input unit 12 and pulse signals corresponding to the movement amount of the apparatus body 10 from the encoder 41, that is, the movement amount detection signal are input. Then, the control unit 51 controls the conversion data (key input data) storage unit 52, the display RAM 53, the Kana / Kanji conversion unit 54, and the candidate Kanji characters according to various key operation signals from the mode changeover switch 11 and the key input unit 12. Storage unit 55, text data storage unit
56, controls the thermal head drive circuit 57. The conversion data storage unit 52 sequentially stores character / symbol data such as “kana” and “symbol” input from the key input unit 12 by operating the character / symbol input keys 14 and the function keys 15. The key input character / symbol data input to the storage unit 52 is the display character generator 58 and the display RAM 53.
Is displayed on the display unit 13 via. Kana / Kanji conversion unit 54
When a conversion signal is output from the control unit 51 in response to the operation of the Kana / Kanji conversion key 17 of the key input unit 12, “Kana” in the key input character symbol data stored in the conversion data storage unit 52 is A kanji search corresponding to characters is performed. At this time, kanji are searched in the order of fixed phrase → compound word → single kanji, and the searched kanji is stored in the candidate kanji storage unit 55 and read from the candidate kanji storage unit 55. And is displayed on the display unit 13. here,
When there are a plurality of homophones or homophones in the kana searched by the kana / kanji conversion unit 54, the display unit 13 displays the maximum number of display characters (for example, the last one digit is 8 characters).
In the case of the above, the next candidate signal is input from the control unit 51 by operating the next candidate key 18 of the key input unit 12, and the other undisplayed candidate Kanji characters are read out and sequentially displayed. When a selection signal is input to the candidate kanji storage unit 55 from the control unit 51 by operating the Kanji selection keys 19a to 19f of the key input unit 12, the selected Kanji data is stored in the text data storage unit.
It is output to 56. On the other hand, of the key input data stored in the conversion data storage unit 52, the character / symbol data that does not require Kanji conversion is also transferred to and stored in the sentence data storage unit 56. That is, the text data storage unit 56 stores the document information created by operating the key input unit 12 as document character data including kana / kanji converted kanji, unconverted kana, katakana, symbols, and external characters.

Then, the character and symbol data of each character of the document data stored in the sentence data storage unit 56 is output to the display unit 13 via the display character generator 58 and the display RAM 53 for display, and also for printing. It is called as an actual character via the character generator 59 and output to the thermal head drive circuit 57. The thermal head drive circuit 57 receives an encoder pulse from the encoder 41 when a print mode signal is output from the control unit 51, and a character input via the printing character generator 59 in synchronization with this encoder pulse. The data is transferred to the thermal head 27 line by line. In this case, the print quality of the thermal head 27 is, for example, 24
Since it is × 24 dots (full-width), the above-mentioned 1 line means 1/24 line of 1 character.

On the other hand, the movement amount detection signal of the device body 10 from the encoder 41 is also output to the counter 60. The counter 60 starts a counting operation after being reset via the one-shot circuit 61a when the measurement mode signal and the print key signal are output from the control unit 51. The counter 60 detects the movement amount detection signal. The count data of is output to the calculation unit 62. The calculation unit 62 converts the count data of the movement amount detection signal input from the counter 60 into the movement distance of the apparatus body 10, and the address of the display RAM 53 indicating the position on the display unit 13 corresponding to the movement distance. To calculate the value,
The address data for this display unit 13 is the address storage unit.
Given to 63. The address data stored in the address storage unit 63 is set in the word processor mode WP when
It is output from the control unit 51 as a display position control signal to the display RAM 53. At this time, display data (character code) for indicating the start point and the end point of the display position to be addressed is sent to the display character generator 58. The range corresponding to the movement distance of the device body 10 is displayed on the display unit.
Shown above 13.

Next, the operation of the small character printing device having the above configuration will be described.

First, to create the desired document, switch the mode
Operate 11 to specify the word processor mode WP. Then, the control unit 51 is set to the word processor mode WP. Here, the user operates the key input unit 12 of the apparatus main body 10 to select a desired character,
Input symbols etc. in order.

First, the character / symbol input key 14 and the function key 15 are operated to key-in the document information to be created, and the input document data is sequentially transferred to the converted data storage unit 52 which is addressed via the control unit 51. It At the same time, the input document data is displayed in the character generator 58 for display and the RA for display.
It is displayed on the display unit 13 via M53. When the kana / kanji conversion key 17 is operated after inputting the kana of the desired document, the kana / kanji conversion unit 54 performs kana / kanji conversion processing from the beginning of the input characters in the order of fixed phrase → compound words → single kanji. Done. Here, when the reading of a kana character matches any of the candidate kanji stored in the candidate kanji storage unit 55 in advance, the kana character to be converted is indicated by the cursor k, and
A candidate kanji string of the same sound is displayed in the lower part of the display. here,
When the user operates the kanji selection keys 19a to 19f to specify a desired kanji among the same-sound candidate kanji, the selection signal is output to the candidate kanji storage unit 55, and the kana character to be converted is kanji-converted. The next kana character to be converted is indicated by the cursor k. In this case, the converted Kanji data is transferred to and stored in the document data storage unit 56. Thereafter, the kanji selection process is repeated again in the same manner as described above to perform kana / kanji conversion.

Here, when the reading of the kana character that matches the badly converted kanji is shown, the cursor key 16 is operated to show the desired kana character, and the candidate kanji that matches the reading is displayed. On the other hand, in the display state of the same-sound candidate kanji during the above series of kana / kanji conversion, if the desired kanji does not exist among the candidate kanji displayed on the display unit 13, the next candidate key 18 is operated to operate the control unit. The next candidate signal is output from 51 to the candidate Kanji storage unit 55. Then, other same-sound candidate kanji are replaced and displayed. If a desired kanji exists in the next candidate kanji, the kanji selection process similar to the above is repeated to perform kana / kanji conversion. If the desired Kanji is not displayed by operating the next candidate key 18 once,
Further, the next candidate key 18 is operated to display another homophone candidate kanji. Here, the kanji selected and designated by kana / kanji conversion are sequentially transferred from the candidate kanji storage unit 55 to the text data storage unit 56, but kana characters, symbols, etc. that do not require kana / kanji conversion are By operating the unchanged (non-conversion) key of the function key 15, the data is transferred to the conversion data storage unit 56. By repeating the above character / symbol input processing, kana / kanji conversion processing, and kanji selection processing, a desired document is created and stored in the text data storage unit 56.

Next, the operation of printing out the document data created by key input as described above will be described. When printing document data, the mode selection switch 11
To the print mode PR position. By switching the mode changeover switch 11, the control unit 51 is set to the print mode, the text data storage unit 56 is in a read state, and the thermal head drive circuit 57 is in a state of waiting for an encoder pulse from the encoder 41. In this state, the user sets the print head portion HA to the recording paper A as shown in FIG.
And press the print key 20 to move the apparatus main body 10 in the direction of arrow X. The rubber rollers 31 and 32 rotate as the apparatus body 10 moves, and the rotation is transmitted to the gears 37a and 37b in FIG. Then, the encoder disk 38 rotates with the rotation of the gear 37b, and the rotation of the encoder disk 38 causes the slits 38a, 38a
The light sent to the photosensor 40 via b, ... Is intermittently controlled, and the photosensor 40 outputs a pulse signal. Then, the pulse signal output from the photo sensor 40 becomes the output of the encoder 41, and the control unit 51 and the thermal head drive circuit 57 as a movement amount detection signal for the apparatus main body 11.
Sent to. The rotation of the rubber roller 31 is transmitted to the ribbon winding shaft 36 via the one-way clutch 34 and the gears 35a and 35b, and is further transmitted to the winding spool 23b in the ink ribbon cassette 22. As a result, the ribbon take-up spool 23b rotates, and the thermal transfer ink ribbon 24 guided from the ribbon delivery spool 23a through the ribbon loading notch 26 is taken up. In this case, the ribbon take-up shaft 36 does not cause a slip between the recording paper A and the ink ribbon 24 as the apparatus body 10 moves.
The ink ribbon 24 is lightly pressed against the recording paper A by the thermal head 27 having a downward printing pressure phrase by the spring 28b.

On the other hand, the movement amount detection signal output from the photo sensor 40 is sent to the control unit 51 and the thermal head drive circuit 57 as the output signal of the encoder 41 as described above. Then, the control unit 51 sequentially designates the memory address of the text data storage unit 56 according to the movement detection signal from the encoder 41, reads the document data stored therein, and reads this text data from the character generator for printing. Thermal head drive circuit as individual character data through 59
Output to 57. The thermal head drive circuit 57 drives the thermal head 27 in synchronization with the movement amount detection signal from the encoder 41, that is, in synchronization with the reading timing of the document data by the control unit 51. This thermal head 27
Is driven, the document data is thermally transferred onto the recording paper A via the ink ribbon 24. In this case, as the apparatus body 10 moves, the unused portion of the ink ribbon 24 is delivered from the delivery spool 23a of the ink ribbon cassette 22,
The used portion after being thermally transferred by the thermal head 27 is sequentially wound on the winding spool 23b in the cassette 22. By operating the apparatus main body 10 as described above, the created document data stored in the text data storage unit 56 is sequentially printed on the recording paper A. In this case, since the small apparatus body 10 itself is moved to perform printing on the recording paper A, regardless of the size of the recording paper A, if only the print range of the created document data is secured to a minimum, any recording paper A For example, it is possible to print even on a bound notebook.

Here, the display unit according to the print operation of the above document data
The 13 display states will be described.

First, in the initial state of the print mode in which the mode changeover switch 11 is switched, the prepared text data stored in the text data storage unit 56 is displayed in the displayable range from the beginning. Then, when printing is started, the document data corresponding to the characters / symbols actually thermal-transfer printed on the recording paper A disappears from the display unit 13, and instead, the text following the document data displayed so far is displayed. The document data in the data storage unit 56 is shifted and displayed. After this, when printing of all document data stored in the text data storage unit 56 is completed, the display unit 13 becomes blank. That is, the user moves the apparatus main body 10 to perform the printing process while confirming the document data to be printed by looking at the display state of the display unit 13. In this way, when the same document is further printed after the printing of all the document data is completed, the RS (restart) key in the function key 15 is operated to return to the initial state of the print mode again.

Next, for example, when a table is drawn on the recording paper A in advance,
A tabulation operation for arranging arbitrary characters in each table frame without displacement will be described.

First, the operator operates the mode changeover switch 11 to set the major mode ME, the head portion HA of the apparatus main body 10 is brought into contact with the recording paper A, and the print range for one frame defined by the above table is set by the print key 20. Move in X direction while pressing. Then, the device body output from the encoder 41
The movement amount detection signals of 10 are counted by the counter 60, and the count data corresponding to the printing range of one frame is sent from the counter 60 to the calculation unit 62 at the same time when the print key 20 is released. Here, based on the count data, the device body 10
The moving distance, that is, the address value on the display unit 13 corresponding to the printing range defined by the frame is calculated and stored in the address storage unit 63.

In this way, the printing range for one frame of the above table is measured from the moving distance of the apparatus main body 10, and with the display address corresponding to the measured distance set in the address storage section 63, the operation mode is switched to the word processor mode WP, As shown in FIG. 4 (A), the ranges S1 and S2 corresponding to the printing range for one frame in the table above are
It is displayed on the display unit 13 based on the address data stored in the address storage unit 63. Here, the operator can perform the document creation process while confirming the print range defined by the front frame on the recording sheet A on the display unit 13. For example, "Tokyo" is displayed in a certain frame. If it is desired to print, the character string "Tokyo" is first created in accordance with the same document creation process as described above, as shown in FIGS. 4 (B) and (C). After this, as shown in FIG. 4 (D),
Insert a space between each character of "Tokyo"
Set the layout position of each character between S1 and S2. Then, when the operation mode of the apparatus main body 10 is switched to the print mode PR and the apparatus main body 10 is moved in the X direction in the same manner as the printing process by adjusting to the front frame on the recording paper A, FIG.
As shown in, the "Tokyo" created according to the above ranges S1 and S2 will be printed in a well-balanced state within the corresponding frame.

Therefore, according to the small character printing device having the above-described configuration, not only can printing be performed on non-regular-sized recording paper or bound notebooks, but tabulation, etc., for example, a predetermined printing range on the recording paper can be performed. If set, the character string can be created and printed according to the print range.

In the above embodiment, the case where the display function of the print range in the word processing mode WP using the major mode ME is used for the tabulation processing has been described, but for example, the width of the recording paper is measured in advance in the major mode ME. Ikeba, display
In the word processor mode WP, the printable range of one line of the recording paper is displayed at 13, and it becomes possible to input a document so that the printing width of one line does not stick out from the recording paper.

[Advantages of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the character data input means, the input data display and storage means, and the storage data printing means by the movement of the main body of the apparatus are provided, and are predetermined. The printed range is measured as the movement distance of the main body of the device, and the range corresponding to this measured distance can be displayed and confirmed together with the above input data. Even when performing the above, it is possible to provide a small character printing apparatus that can set and print arbitrary characters in a well-balanced position in a pre-drawn table frame.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external configuration diagram showing a small character printing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a printing section of the small character printing device, and FIG. 3 is an electronic diagram of the small character printing device. Block diagram showing the circuit, FIG. 4 (A) ~ (E)
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a tabulation operation by the small character printing device. 10 ... Device main body, 10a ... Back cover, 10b ... Hinge, 11 ... Mode selection switch, 12 ... Key input part, 13 ... Display part, 14 ... Character /
Symbol input key, 15 ... Function key, 15a ... Execution key, 16 ... Cursor key, 17 ... Kana / Kanji conversion key, 18 ... Next candidate key, 19a-19f ... Kanji selection key, 20 ... Print key, 21 ...
Print unit, 22 ... Ink ribbon cassette, 23a ... Delivery spool, 23b ... Take-up spool, 24 ... Thermal transfer ink ribbon, 25 ... Head setting notch, 26 ... Ribbon loading notch, 27 ... Thermal head, 28 ... Head mounting member, 28a ... Slide hole, 28b ... Spring, 29, 30 ... Opening, 31,
32 ... Rubber roller, 33, 35a, 35b, 37a, 37b ... Gear, 34 ... 1
Directional clutch, 36 ... Ribbon winding shaft, 38 ... Encoder disk, 38a, 38b ... Slit, 39 ... LED, 40 ... Photo sensor, 41 ... Encoder, 42 ... Support shaft, 43 ... Circuit board, 51 ...
Control unit, 52 ... Converted data storage unit, 53 ... Display RAM, 54 ...
Kana / Kanji conversion unit, 55 ... Candidate Kanji storage unit, 56 ... Text data storage unit, 57 ... Thermal head drive circuit, 58 ... Display character generator, 59 ... Printing character generator, 60 ... Counter, 61a, 61b ... One Shot circuit, 62
... Calculation unit, 63 ... Address storage unit.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A means for inputting character data composed of characters and symbols, a means for displaying the input character data, a means for storing the input character data, and a means for storing the stored character data. A means for printing on recording paper by moving the device body, a means for measuring the moving distance of the device body, and a range corresponding to the moving distance of the device body obtained by the distance measuring means with respect to the display means. A small character printing device comprising means for displaying.