Thermal Printer Controller Paper Conveyance Threshold
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Solution Overview
Problem
Thermal printers face sticking issues between the thermal head and paper due to excessive heat, leading to uneven paper conveyance and poor print quality, especially when the thermal head remains at the print position after printing additional information or data.
Innovation Solution
A thermal printer with a controller that determines if the number of print dots in consecutive lines exceeds a threshold, and if so, conveys the paper by a predetermined amount after printing to prevent sticking, using a conveyance unit and thermal head configuration that includes a linear thermal head with heating elements and a conveyance motor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the thermal head stays at the print position after printing to prepare for next print data, then printing efficiency is improved, but sticking between thermal head and thermal paper occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The controller performs preliminary action by determining in advance whether the number of print dots exceeds the threshold, and proactively controlling the conveyance unit to convey the thermal paper by a predetermined amount before sticking occurs. This prevents sticking while maintaining the thermal head at the print position for efficient printing.
2Manufacturing precision
If the number of active heating elements is increased to print more dots, then print quality is improved, but sticking likelihood increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller uses feedback by determining whether the number of print dots in consecutive lines exceeds a predetermined threshold, and based on this feedback, controls the conveyance unit to convey the thermal paper by a predetermined amount. This feedback mechanism prevents sticking while allowing high-density printing when necessary.
3Ease of operation
If additional information is printed in advance before next transaction data, then service quality is improved, but sticking occurs due to extended thermal head residence
Solution Approach 1:
The controller performs preliminary determination of the number of print dots including additional information, and proactively controls the conveyance unit to convey the thermal paper before sticking occurs. This allows advance printing of additional information while preventing sticking through timely paper conveyance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution effectively reduces sticking between the thermal head and paper, maintaining print quality by ensuring proper paper conveyance and preventing jamming, while avoiding unnecessary paper movement when the heat generated is not excessive.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal head including a plurality of heating elements arranged along a line intersecting with a paper conveyance direction... by applying heat to the thermal paper from the heating elements to cause the thermal layer of the thermal paper to develop color
Implementation Method 2
control the conveyance unit to convey the thermal paper by a predetermined amount along the conveyance direction
Data Source
AI summary
A thermal printer includes a conveyance unit, a thermal head with heating elements arranged in a line crossing a conveyance direction of a thermal paper, and a controller that generates print dot data for dots to be printed by the thermal head and controls the conveyance unit and thermal head according to the print dot data. The controller determines whether the total number of dots to be printed in a predetermined number of consecutive lines of the print dot data is greater than a threshold number and, when the total number of dots is greater than the threshold number, control the conveyance unit to convey the thermal paper after the printing of the print dot data by a predetermined amount along the conveyance direction.