Patent ID: 7940288

Claim:
A print control device for a thermal printer for detecting a failure in a component of said thermal printer to prevent an incorrect printing of an item to be printed comprising: a detector ( 12 ) for receiving information and for rendering the thermal printer inoperative when an operative component becomes defective; a feeder ( 7 ) associated with a thermal printer head; at least one thermal resistor ( 5 ) indicative of and associated with each said operative component of said thermal printer for checking thereof and a wire ( 6 ) for each said thermal resistor for connection of said thermal resistor to said feeder ( 7 ) of said thermal printer head; a print control device for detecting a failure or breakdown of each said thermal resistor ( 5 ), said last-mentioned print control device consisting essentially of a single driver ( 1 ) including individual components for each said thermal resistor, a MOSFET ( 3 ) associated with the driver for each said thermal resistor ( 5 ); a first wire ( 2 ) for connecting the gate of said MOSFET ( 3 ) to said driver ( 1 ) for each said resistor, said MOSFET ( 3 ) also being connected by a second wire ( 4 ) to said thermal resistor ( 5 ) and by a third wire ( 9 ) to said detector ( 12 ); each said MOSFET ( 3 ) also being connected by a fourth wire ( 8 ) to ground and a biunique connection by means of said third wire ( 9 ) to a comparator ( 10 ) for each said thermal resistor such that said MOSFET is in series with said thermal resistor ( 5 ); each said comparator ( 10 ) being coupled by a wire ( 11 ) to said group detector ( 12 ) such that a failure or a breakdown of any one or more of said operative components directed to said group detector ( 12 ) to prevent said thermal printer from continuing printing thereby to prevent an incorrect printing and to provide a correct printing by preventing an error in the printing from taking place due to the breakdown in one said operative components.